The Tunnel of Fate
by TeamOfOne
Summary: Life for a hero is difficult. Heroes must be willing to sacrifice all that they have, all that they are, for what they believe in. A hero must be a rock for the world to lean on. It is Finn's greatest wish to do just that, but as he gets older, he changes. The world is not as back and white as it is when you are a child. A tale of Finn's search for redemption and companionship
1. Awaken

The Tunnel of Fate

_Hello and welcome to my first fan fiction. Due to this, be aware of miss-placements of commas and other things that may not be quite right. You have been warned. Anyways, after a few years of reading works from other authors on this website, I felt inspired to create my own work and share it with the community that has so graciously provided me with so much procrastination material. This is my fan fiction and I named it, The Tunnel of Fate. So please, find a can of mountain dew, recline into a sitting position, and prepare yourself for an adventure through the mind of a suffering individual on his mighty quest for redemption, happiness, and companionship._

Author's note: I do not, nor have I ever owned, Adventure Time. If I did, I would probably buy a golden replica of Finn's original sword, Scarlet.

Chapter 1: Awaken

How many days had it been? While it felt as though years had passed, perhaps it was not nearly as long. Maybe two months? Three? Or, perhaps, it really was much, much longer. The darkness of the tunnel, the soul-shattering emptiness… Why was he even here? He was warned of the dangers, yet he still trekked on. What was he hoping to find?

A key to solve all his problems? A dangerous new land in which to make new discoveries and adventures? Maybe walking became his new outlet?

Perhaps he would be better off heading back right? Maybe he still had enough oxygen to reach the land he called home. That was stupid… the opportunity, dead and gone. That point, that essential decision, was gone and he had decided to continue his journey. The tunnel, it stretched on for an eternity and turning around would be a fruitless endeavor. He would never make it back with the oxygen left in his magical air bubble. He was certain that death would come eventually.

His thoughts were so muddled with memories, faces of friends, loved ones, and adventures. The memories began happy and peaceful but were slowly getting darker and more discouraging. One depicted a silhouette of a father teaching his child the basics of swordplay. Another one, showed a massive tree house overlooking miles of rolling green grass. The images in his head did little to comfort him in the subterranean environment around him.

"This world needs heroes. I need you to be one now my son. The long road ahead will be painful …but letting evil be victorious, will be more disastrous than any moral or emotional wound. You must grow to understand the true meaning of sacrifice. You need to be there for the people, the innocent; everyone deserves happiness once in a while. I don't have long my son, but know that I love you and your brother dearly. You'll make a hell of a man one day." The man becomes pale; the boy's cry goes unheard.

A young man leans upon the outer doors to an absolutely massive castle. With intents to finally open the door and confront the ruling person with his true thoughts and feeling, he sticks one foot through the door only for his ears to catch onto the beginning of a conversation. "Your majesty, one of the lookouts has spotted what they believed to be a man in a fireproof suit trekking across the border with a bundle of flame-shielded presents. I think we both know who this is, not many people have regular access to revitalized technology of the Old World." said the knight to his ruling queen. A long, burdened sigh was released. "Can he not see that I do not have time for these games? I've got too many things going on to deal with another of his heartfelt pleas." The words seemed stressed and forced out. The foot quickly ducked back out of the palace. However, the ruler's amber eyes caught sight of the foot in its retreat …That unmistakable black sneaker. No one in the kingdom wore shoes like that because they would never last the heat of the kingdom. Only one person would have the need for shoes that were so durable as to withstand damage so completely. Her heart dropped in regret and her face became a visage of immense sadness. The young man walking away was not in any better condition.

The sunset showed brilliantly onto the multicolored city. The sun's rays bathed everything in deep reds and oranges; except for one thing. A figure dressed in a full body black coat was perched on one of the tallest buildings in the sugary kingdom. This building was one of the few that could glimpse the land outside of the walls surrounding the city. It used to be a multistory market, the most grand to be built in the past several hundred years at least. The building was currently damaged beyond repair, though. A massive missing chunk in the side had rendered it unsafe to be within several hundred feet of its base. However, danger could not have deterred the figure in the slightest. He was born to the wilderness and grew strong fighting foes at least three times his size. He is the hero of the land and the protector of the innocent. So why is it that he failed? The figure fixed his blue eyes onto the trail of destruction below. A long trail of wrecked homes and businesses led to a large hole in the wall whose purpose was to protect the city. The hero found himself comparing his life to the wall; how they were both born to protect and shield the innocent, and yet on this day, both failed to do so. It ran further throughout the developments surrounding the outside of the walls and into the pink-colored forest.

Due to the recent peace of the lands, population in the kingdom has spiked to a new high. The need for homes no longer could seek refuge inside of the walls. The forest was beginning to shrink and new candy homes, industries, and farms became a common sight. "How much has changed in the past three years" thought the hero to himself.

The figure reached up to his head and pulled off an all too familiar hat. This day, would be the last that he would wear such a thing for a long time. The hat was coated in gray dust and small stains of blood from the conflict earlier. The pain in his heart was unmistakable as he had felt it many times before: failure.

A few hours leading up to the conflict, the young man walked across the lush grasslands in a fiery rage to his place of residence. Cries of anger with an occasional swear would escape from his mouth. His spiteful words were directed at one sole object, a long grassy sword wrapped around his arm. The sword, being made of grass, once again failed in battle to hold up against the steel edge of a broad sword. Due to this, the young man received a heavy blow to his chest, where he was then robbed of his gold and possessions by local thieves and left injured on the ground. "Too bad they didn't take the sword" he said angrily.

Upon reaching his house, a deafening roar shortly followed by a distant crunching sound broke his tirade. It was only now that he noticed the phone in his house had been ringing hysterically. Anxiety began to seep into his already clouded emotions as he finally understood that his services were once again required. Sprinting at his full speed he rushed to the location of the roar. To his horror, he noticed the Candy Kingdom coming into sight. Even worse however, there was a massive hole blown through the wall. Smoke billowed into the thick dark clouds above, only adding to the ominous feeling growing in the young man's stomach.

When the monstrosity came into view, the young man took notice to a large yellow dog-like figure engaged in hand-to-hand combat with the assailant. The young man's feet were not fast enough to carry him to assist his companion, because it was at that moment that a mighty left hook connected with the dog's jaw. A resounding crack was heard and the dog fell backward, shrinking in size as he did so. The young man could have yelled in horror watching his companion going down, but luckily, a streak of rainbow shot through the sky and swept up the dog before any more damage could be dealt. The young man felt an immense relief from this. Reaching the breached wall of the kingdom, the young man flicked his hand and commanded his sword to extend and prepare for battle.

Something was wrong, the sword refused to work. The young man tried repeated times yet the sword only wrapped tighter onto his arm. In a mix of dread and fury, he grabbed a nearby piece of re-bar with an uneven candy concrete ball at the end. He thought to himself, "Why do I even carry a weapon when I will just end up having to improvise a weapon every battle?"

_It began to lightly drizzle…_ The shrouded man atop the building had little recollection of the events following. What some people had told him, while trying to get a decent hit on the beast, he was struck by thrown candy rubble. His previous injuries had decreased his evasiveness significantly.

_The rain picked up with intensity…_ The gumball guardians and Sir Rattleballs were the true heroes this day. Using the brute strength of the guardians, in combination with the quick and agile swipes of Sir Rattleballs, the monstrosity had no chance. The young man finally came to consciousness and crawled from the rubble. Seeing no immediate danger, he checked his appendages. Luckily, he detected no broken bones. However, he was bruised badly from head to toe. Standing up in pain, he hobbled to the palace to assess the damages and see his best friend. The entire trip there, he berated himself for his inability in stopping the monster in its path of destruction.

_It started to downpour…_ The princess had profusely apologized for leaving her injured friend for death. It had only been his second time that day. She gathered all of her fighters and sat them on a pedestal for all of the inhabitants of the kingdom to see and give praise. The young man, despite his ability to walk, was forced into a wheelchair on the stage next to his dog companion whose entire jaw was bandaged up. From the look of it, his jaw was broken in the fight. The dog carelessly rejoiced and bragged about his injury, although his words were a bit hard to understand. He was now able to eat a diet of nothing but ice cream without being reprimanded by his girlfriend. The kingdom rejoiced. The dog and the princess rejoiced. Even the mysterious fighter Rattleballs had a hint of a smile underneath his hood. But the young man… he was full of nothing but guilt and regret.

The memories skipped forward again to see the young man standing with the golden bulldog in the streets of an uninjured part of the city. When he was allowed again by the princess to walk, he borrowed some of the bulldog's gold as stashed it safely into his pocket. He told his companion to head back to his girlfriend's house in order to rest up after such a long day. While the bulldog furrowed his brow in concern for the young man, he nodded out of exhaustion and was promptly escorted home by his beloved. The young man resolved to leave at that point.

Stopping by a local store, he entered and asked to be fitted for something new. Never had he felt the need more to hide his face then that day. He decided on a midnight black, full body coat. It was durable, almost weightless, and he could conceal his identity along with items and weapons with ease. Paying the tailor for his merchandise, the young man dawned the new outfit and climbed the remains of the broken market building. Here, he would stay the night and hide away from the citizens of the city. The normally energetic and youthful man just needed one night to be left alone to his own thoughts. It was here, in the most daunting of locations, that the young hero slipped away into the depths of his mind and lost himself to a long slumber.

The befuddled young man opens his eyes again, however, he is no longer lying in the skyline of the Candy Kingdom. He is deep underground on what may be his last adventure ever. The memories finally bring a clearer sense of thinking to the hero. He sees his shortcomings, he witnesses his failures. This time however, instead of a sense of giving up, failure, and self-loathing that had consumed his thoughts for so long before, a seed of new found determination was born. It only took him driving himself to the brink of madness to change but he felt it in his heart. He didn't exactly know what had changed, but this new feeling was unmistakable. He had to live, he had to redeem himself. He had to find the end of this tunnel.

_Please, any feedback its greatly appreciated. Tell me what you liked, what you didn't like or anything that may not have been very clear. Anything will help me become a better writer. Thank You_


	2. A Candle in the Dark

The Tunnel of Fate

_Hello people of the internet, and welcome to the second installment of my first fan fiction ever. I realized that some of my paragraphs may have been a little long so I tried to work for a clearer and less cluttered format. __**Important Note: Italicized means the words are spoken in the past. **__Before I begin I'd like to give my thanks and responses to those who took the time to review my work._

_Ooobserver: That means a lot to me especially considering how experienced of a writer you yourself are, thank you so much_

_Gold Testament: I've got a list of ideas that I have started making on my phone. I do plan to create my own OCs. However, the story will pretty much always cover Finn and his adventures and roles and not the OCs_

_kojh0124: I was hoping to draw out some deep emotions from these events. Glad to see it worked. Thank you so much for your support._

Author's note: I do not, nor have I ever owned, Adventure Time. If I did, Flinn would still be an item.

_Chapter 2: A Candle in the Dark_

The darkness was starting to become a little too much for the young man to bear. Reaching around to his backpack, he retrieved a skinny red cylinder. Trying to ignore the fact that he only had two others left, he found the top of the stick and removed the cap. These things were always a pain to ignite in the absolute darkness. Occasionally, the sparks would fly off during ignition and singe his hands and clothes. However, if it were not for the multitude of flares that he had purchased before his trip, he may have gone completely insane wandering around in the dark.

The cap struck down upon the stick… nothing

The two meet again… nothing

A third strike met the tip of the stick… still nothing

Getting fed up, the man felt the tip of the stick. Upon feeling it however he realized that he had been striking the incorrect side. "I guess that what I get for wandering around in the dark" he thought.

The cap struck, this time on the correct tip… the flare exploded in light.

The young man dropped it in fear of being caught on fire. "Perhaps it was defective?" he thought. However, allowing his eyes to adjust to the new light source, he saw that the flare looked just fine. It lay on the ground spewing red and pink sparks out of one side.

Sitting down at the tip that wasn't spitting molten material, he reached into his bag and produced an aged canister. Unscrewing the lid, he began to swallow its contents. The young man began to reminisce about how he had found such an amazing adventure's tool. Following a quest once by the wish of their best friend, Princess Bubblegum, the young man and his faithful companion had traveled to the mysterious Lunar Cave deep within the forbidden forest. Their mission… didn't it have something to do with radioactive mushrooms? The details escaped his memory. Anyways, the young man saw himself and his companion walking deep into the dark cave…

"_Jake!"_

Jake…

"_How much deeper do we have to go?!"_

"_I dunno man, the princess said that we'd know it when we see it"_

"_But that might take forever and there's nothing down here but moldy rocks."_ At that point the young man found himself kicking one of the small rocks. A deep rumbling ensued…

"_Dude! It's a trap!"_ yelled Jake. Just as he did, a large stone wall with plated spikes crushed the location of the golden dog's companion. Luckily enough for said companion, the dog's movements were faster, launching one hand into the back of his best friend and flinging him clear to the other side of the wall.

Looking up in horror, the young man expected to see his buddy's arm crushed into the ground by one (or multiple) spikes. He glanced at the dog whose only reaction at the time was his ragged breathing.

"_Jake! Are you alright?" _the young man asked, seriously worried about the condition of his friend.

"_I don't know man. I don't feel anything, but that might just be the adrenaline."_

"_Try to retract your arm"_

Slowly, the bulldog did just that revealing a slightly cut hand covered in dust.

"_Thank Glob!" _they both said together

"_Jinx!" _They both yelled again in unison

"_No, you owe me a pasta meal!"_

"_Nuh-uh! I said it first so you're cooking dinner tonight!" _said the bulldog bounding off deeper into the cave.

"_Jake!" _yelled the young man running after his brother. It was like it never even happened.

The young man signed, "Jake, you were the best brother a guy could ask for. You always stuck your neck out for me even when you knew the dangers. I love you man. Where ever you are… whatever happens to me… I need you to know that I have appreciated everything you've done for me. Your amazing cooking, your terrible advice, your brotherly protection that kept me alive all these years… If I don't make it out of here, I will wait for you in Glob World, brother." The young man was leaking a heavy amount of tears by this point.

Again he began to remember…

"_Jake! come look at this!"_

"_Whoa man, that's a huge emerald!"_

A large gemstone lay in the hands of the old remains of a once-adventurer. Next to the skeleton lay a rusted sword with an equally rusted canister.

"_Right… it's an emerald, not a ruby" _the young man thought to himself

"_No I meant the canister, it is covered in these old golden runes and symbols. We have plenty of gems back at the house."_

"_Pssh, there's no such thing as too much loot brother. Just when you think you've got too much loot… Bam! You form another pocket and fill that one to!" _The dog exclaimed happily, creating another pocket in its fur and dropped in the large gemstone.

"_I think I am going to keep this" _The man said, attaching the canister to a key loop on his backpack.

"_Dude it's just junk"_ the dog claimed, "_Just get rid of it"_

"_No man! It's probably an ancient key to some long forgotten underwater fortress!" _The young man happily exclaimed.

The man's brother just laughed at his antics.

"_Whatever you want bro" _the dog said

On their way out, the two stopped by a fresh-water lake to refresh their thirsty gullets. The young man unscrewed the lid of the canister and ducked it under the water. Massive air bubbles began rising out of the canister, indicting that it was filling with water. To the young man's amusement, the air bubbles did not cease, nor did they even slow down while he held the canister underwater. He looked to his brother lazily floating on his back in the lake.

"_Hey Jake, guess who just found a new magic water bottle" _the young man casually said while he pulled canister out of the water upside down and let its contents run back out into the lake.

To the young man's satisfaction, his brother just stared at the stream of water as it constantly poured out of the canister and back into the lake with no stop in sight. The bulldog could have sworn he had seen the lake rise a few inches.

The young man stopped drinking from his canister and laid it next to the burning flare. He then reached into his bag a second time and produced a small white rectangle made of fabric. Upon unfold the rectangle, it revealed to be his old and iconic bear hat. The man had not worn it since the fateful day he failed the Candy Kingdom. Reaching into the hole where his face would go, the young man pulled out a small pile of pictures of his friends back home.

The first picture showed all of his closest friends at movie night at his and Jake's old treehouse. He saw Jake's smiling face as the bulldog carried a platter of cookies over for the group to enjoy. He wore his favorite apron that read, "Caution: Creative genius at work". BMO, Simon, LSP, PB, Marceline… They were all there.

"I wonder if they miss me as much as I miss them" they young man signed sadly. But I can't go back, not yet. Not only would I need another magic air bubble, but it would take weeks to walk all the way back. Not to mention it would be a complete waste if I don't accomplish my goal that I made upon setting out on this trip. I need to learn to control my emotions. I always make the most brash and stupid decisions when I feel these strong emotion. It's like I become a whole different person sometimes and worst of all… I end up hurting everyone close to me. My emotions make every situation worse. I need to learn self-control." the young man wasn't entirely sure who exactly he was talking to; whether himself or to his picture of his friends, but he was starting to feel better.

He thought about the first time that his out of control emotions caused such devastation to one of his closest friends...

The young man ruffled quickly through the photos but stopped immediately when he saw her face. Moving the photo closer to the light of the torch, he began to closely examine the photo. The photo was taken by his brother Jake almost a week before he performed an act which should have been unthinkable to a hero. He could read everything about her personality through her face in the photo.

_Her brilliant amber eyes…_ Her mischievous nature and her ability to make even the saddest man smile.

_The gentle curves in her face… _Her glowing beauty and her age dawning a new light of maturity and wisdom to her features.

_Her radiant smile… _Her massive capacity for compassion and her quest for all things righteous and honest.

The young man wished nothing more than to see her face again, but not just through a picture. He wanted to hold her face and tell her that he would give his life for her happiness, but he just couldn't.

"Why not?" he mentally asked himself

"She would not have it, she has a kingdom now, she does not need me" the young man reasoned with himself

"You have seen her face; you have seen the workload that she endures every day. It was never in her nature to become so bound to one place. She is a free spirit and you know it. She learned true sacrifice of herself to her people, she is a true hero. Don't you think she would want someone to help her out with the massive workload? Some hero's need help sometimes."

The young man sat dumbfounded at his thoughts. Were these really his own thoughts? He could not counter the logic; he had seen first-hand the strain of the constant stress on the young queen. Her eyes were dimmer, her posture took on an unnatural straightness, and her voice grew more monotone. Yet thorough it all, he always made it his business to make her laugh at least once when he visited. Sometimes it was easier than others. All he would have to do is trip into Cinnamon Bunn and she would burst out into laughter. He would watch as the stress fell off of her shoulders if only for a minute. To him, it was like admiring the final results of polishing an old and most trusted sword.

The young man noticed the sparks of the flare beginning to grow dimmer.

With haste, he folded up is memories and stuffed them into a safe place in his backpack. Grabbing his canister he took one last moment to gulp down as much of the contents as he could before he would store it away. Before he could finish his drink however, the unthinkable occurred…

The canister stopped pouring water

At first the young man shook it, maybe the water was just stuck, it's not like he really understood anything about magic. However, he slowly grew more and more nervous. His nervousness turned to anxiety, anxiety into fear, and finally, fear into horror…

The young man started hyperventilating, "I'm going to die, I'm seriously going to die here." he repeated over and over in his head.

But just when he thought that he would lose it, he heard a faint crying sound. It almost sounded fairly similar to a young girl weeping. Standing up, he walked back over to where the dying flare and his backpack were located. Bending down, he snatched up the flare. For a minute he almost saw a weeping princess in the sparks. Her hair hung down on her face and tears of magma flowed freely down from her eyes. He felt nothing but shame as he watched it slowly burn out, leaving him in the pitch black once again.

"No" he firmly stated. "I can't die here. She needs me, and I need her. I don't care if fate seals our hearts away from each other. I must be there for her and her kingdom. I must be her candle in the dark." the young man stated in absolute finality.

"For FP…" he whispered as he picked up his backpack once again. Attaching his empty water canister again, he took off down the tunnel once more, but now, he was running out of time.

_Thank you for taking the time to read my story. Please, any feedback is greatly appreciated. Tell me what you liked, what you didn't like or anything that may not have been very clear. Anything will help me to become a better writer._


	3. The Sun's Existence

The Tunnel of Fate

_Hello again, and welcome to the third chapter of my first fan fiction. I found a little bit of time today and I typed up a new chapter. I don't have much more to say, so before we begin, I'd like to give my thanks and responses to those who reviewed my work._

_Ooobserver: Once again, thank you so much for your support. Favorites and follows are really nice but it's the reviews that help me see that I must still be doing something right. Thanks again._

_kojh0124: I hope to maybe find a happy medium between longer and shorter paragraphs but we will see. I'm still a noob at this until I get better. Thanks again for your praise and time._

_Adventureinoooh: Thank you, I love the little flashback moments as well. As the story progresses, I hope to still throw some into the writing from time to time._

_Author's note: I never had , nor will I ever own Adventure Time. You should know this already._

Chapter 3: The Sun's Existence

Two days have passed. Or, so the young man thought. Two days, being equivalent to having stopped twice for much needed sleep. During his last stop, the young man set alight another flare and took a check on his remaining supplies. One flare left. The water canister… obviously empty.

"No point checking there, I don't want to get my hopes up for non-existent water" the young man thought. He could no longer afford small luxuries such as breathing through his mouth; that would just dry his mouth out even more. It felt like it had been forever since he had a drink, felt the clear liquid easing away the pain of his throat. The man made a note of his remaining food…

"Plenty of dried jerky… Too bad I can't eat it without making my dehydration even worse" the young man thought with an ever-growing frown on his face. Eating would only make him waste the precious water left in his body. The dehydration and hunger were starting to wear out his body. His arms and legs felt as if they were made of stone and his head was starting to droop onto the backpack strap across his right shoulder. If it were not bad enough for the poor man, the magical bubble around his head had been deteriorating at a rapid rate. Almost a week ago, the bubble started to show signs of wear. The thin shell of the bubble used to feel sturdy and reliable. It hugged his head almost like a friend, giving him the assurance that there would always be more air with each breath the he took.

This was no longer so. The air it gave no longer provided him with enough oxygen to perform any sort of physically demanding task. He barely had enough air to walk in a straight line. The bubble's thin shell used to conform to the young man's hand whenever he needed to provide himself with food, water, or anything else needed. Now, he was hesitant to even touch it, afraid that any movement would rupture the brittle membrane. His lifeline was dying, and soon, he would as well. The future never looked bleaker for the young man than right now. However, through sheer will-power he pushed on. He knew that something would kill him eventually; moving forward was the only thing that provided him with a source of hope.

He kept walking further along the dirty tunnel. He debated dropping his backpack and continuing on without it to save him some energy. He debated consuming the fluid gathering in his bladder, that he absolutely refused to get rid of, in a last-ditch effort to save himself from dehydration. That was just stupid, he would still die from suffocation even if he satisfied his thirst. But leaving his bag? It sounded smart and would it not make sense? Having less to carry meant he would need less oxygen and use less energy to continue his journey.

Reaching up to the straps of his backpack, he prepared to drop it onto the ground behind him. However, this would mean leaving behind everything from his memento, to his various medicines, and everything in between. But… he just couldn't do it. He couldn't abandon everything he had, because he had packed everything out of necessity. Even if he made it out of the tunnel alive, he would need medicine and supplies to survive in whatever Glob-forsaken place he emerged in. Eventually, he settled to just keep his bag.

"It not going to matter soon anyway" the young man thought to himself. He was so exhausted; the oxygen deprivation would surely do away with him first. It was just slightly better than trying to breathe through a plastic bag. His lungs screamed for air and in that moment, he made a vital decision.

Reaching his hands up, he grabbed onto the ever-weakening membrane of the air bubble and pulled in two separate directions. A distinct "pop!" cut through the silence of the tunnel followed by the sound of a body falling over onto the cold metal floor of the tunnel. The young man closed his eyes, waiting for his ascension to Glob World. In his last bit of will power, he forced his mouth to form the words, "I'm sorry".

The young man reopened his eyes. He thought that surely Glob World would be much brighter, or at least painted white. His eyes grew as another thought struck his mind. "Maybe I'm in the 37th dead world or any of those other dead worlds". This made him look down at the hands that were propping him up currently. Even if he was in one of the dead worlds, shouldn't he be able to see his own hands or even the ghost of others maybe? Feeling a horrible pain in his stomach, he reached down and felt his torso. He was still wearing the cloak that he had procured at the Candy Kingdom. The pain he recognized as a combination of his still growing hunger and dehydration.

"Am I… Alive?"

He slowly got to his feet. The pain shot through every one of his nerves.

"Why am I still here? Shouldn't I have died from suffocation? Why can I still breathe?"

Questions raced through his head. Suddenly, it hit him. Like a bag of candy brick it hit him.

"I can still breathe because there is fresh circulation of air. For that to occur than that would mean that there must be… an exit."

Renewed vigor that the young man had not felt for months surged through his body. His pain became dulled somewhat, the irises of his eyes started to glow, and the smile on his face could not be contained. There was a hole, a passage, he was sure of it. He must be close to the surface. The young man started walking fast than he had before. He was overcome by a feeling of victory, of accomplishment. Soon, he would feel the fresh breeze of the surface world again. And maybe, he might see his princess again.

During the events of his gleeful vigor, he was suddenly and painfully interrupted by a wall to his face. From the ground, the young man rubbed the now sore spot on his face. He was pretty sure he just busted open his lip. Reaching behind him, he produced his last flare from his bag.

"Dear Glob, make it a good one" he quietly whispered to the darkness of the tunnel.

Removing the cap, he found the correct end and held it away from him.

His right hand came down swiftly… nothing happened

"Please…" he moaned

His hand came down again… light flooded the area.

Covering his face again with his hand, he allowed his eyes to adjust to the new light source. When he believed that he could see again, without fear of burning through his retinas, he removed his hand and let out a gasp.

Bearing down on him from above was a massive, metal vehicle. From the looks of it, it must have been ancient, at least from the Old World era. Red paint chipped off of its body and rust was beginning to take over the entire hull. The entire construct would have looked horrible to any humans of the past; however, it was an absolutely magnificent sight to the man in front of it now. Looking up, the man took notice to a pair of metal beams attached to the ceiling. He had never really taken notice to them before. But if he remembered correctly, he could have sworn that they ran from here, all the way back to where the young man had started his journey.

Shaking out of his state of awe, the young man removed himself from the ground. He looked to his left and saw a sight that only made his smile grow larger, if that were even possible. It was a train station, long ago forgotten by the inhabitants of the planet. He realized that the metal vehicle that he had run into must have been a train. However, this train must be extremely advanced. Even more so than the working trains he had experienced before such as the candy express. Turning and walking away, he reached the side and lifted himself up onto the platform. There was so much dust covering everything. Small rises and disturbances in the dust along the floor suggested long-ago remains of past humans. After looking around for a bit, he noticed two paths leading away from the platform. Using the flare to examine the first path, he noticed that it was completely cut off by huge chunks of rock and debris. Looking over at the second path, the young man decided to take off and hope for the best.

Fate certainly had a way with creating bittersweet scenarios. The path was clear of any collapse, however, it spanned upward for what the man would describe to be miles. In his current state, the stairs to reach the surface were a daunting task. He felt increasingly tired just looking at them. But he needed to climb these stairs, resting now would not rehydrate his dying body. So… the young man began his ascension.

Foot-by-foot, hand-by-hand, he was going to reach the surface even if it killed him. His mind was flooded with different emotions. He was thrilled to finally be out of the tunnel, but he feared how he would get back home. He had doubts that the surface would be warm and welcoming to him and yet he was anxious to see another living creature, even if it was trying to maul his face off. He noticed his surroundings. The staircase that he had taken was constructed of aged concrete. They were breaking apart but they still looked in better shape than the set of metal stairs that seemed to divide the concrete stairs up the center. He questioned the need for the humans to have built stair made out of metal and concrete, however, he was thankful that they had. The metal stairs were heavily rusted and looked as if they were about to drop right out of the floor that held them up. The walls were decorated with multiple advertisements for products that had long since ceased to exist and he even saw a large map hanging from the wall. Stopping to examine it, the man noticed lights sticking out of multiple locations on the map. Red, yellow, and blue lines crisscrossed in every direction and connected each dot to one another by some path or another. He figured that they were train paths, but he could not figure anything else out about the map. He moved on.

Reaching the top of the stairs, the young man noticed three separate metal doors guarding the exit. They rose to the full length of the ceiling and were covered with more rust than the metal stairs. The doors had a large rotating circle in the center of each of them connected to some of the most complex locking systems he had ever seen. It was as if the doors themselves had expanded to keep from ever being opened. A look of worry passed over the young man as he approached the center door. He attempted to rotate the wheel of the door. In a combination of years of rust and the young man's exhaustion, the door refused to budge. Moving to the door on the right he tried again…

Nothing… He scurried over to the far left door and tried…

Once again, the door refused to unlock. The young man walked back to the center door…

"I refused to accept that after all that work, after all that pain, that I will die right here. No, I will break down this door!" he shouted as he pulled a large quantity of strength, from a location that he could not quite determine, and he kicked out at the door. The door did not seem to be affected at all. It took the hit and the resounding metallic bang seemed to laugh at the young man until something happened. The sound of metal bending and creaking grew louder until suddenly, something gave…

An earsplitting screech was heard and dust kicked up everywhere. The poor man could not help but to protect his ears and fall to his knees. It lasted for a lifetime, until suddenly everything became eerily quiet once again. Coughing up the new amount of dust that had just coated his throat, the young man raised his neck to look at the center door… or lack thereof. The young man was in disbelief. The door had broken free from its bindings and dropped straight through the floor into an unknown depth of darkness. Walking over to the new hole, he lowered in his flare and tried to see the bottom. Only then did he hear the final impact, however, this one was significantly farther away. Looking down at the hole, he momentarily shivered at the possibility of falling down such a distance. He quickly hoped over the hole and continued on his way.

He walked into the next room. He believed that at one point, it may have been a waiting area. Looking around, he thought he was mistaken. Everywhere he looked were piles of unmarked brown sacks. There must have been at least a hundred of the things. The young man could not contain his curiosity and bent down to open one of the sacks. After opening it, he reached a hand inside and pulled out a lumpy brown object. It was slightly bigger than his fist.

"What is this?" the young man wondered. Putting down his flare he noticed a sharp rock by his feet. Picking it up, he began to slice through the outside layer. When he had gotten far enough, he dropped the rock and pulled apart the object with his hands. The insides were white and felt slightly slimy.

"Is this… a potato?" the young man asked in utter bewilderment. Potatoes had water right? They were full of nutrients and water… sweet water. The young man dove in, consuming one after another raw potatoes. They tasted so bad, yet to the young man, he was just happy to be refilling on vital nutrients. He didn't really question the reason to the potatoes' existence in the train station until he heard someone behind him. The man meant to turn around but was briefly met in the head with a long wooden bat. He instantly lost consciousness and fell into the sack of potatoes. After he was promptly knocked out, the figure behind him sighed, a tired feminine sigh, and scooped up the young man. She carried him to the door and out onto the surface world.

_I'm sorry, this spot was almost too good of a spot to end a chapter, otherwise, this would have been much longer. Anyways, please give me feedback. Likes, dislikes, suggestions? Thank you and peace out!_


	4. Another Hero

The Tunnel of Fate

_Hello, and welcome back to __The Tunnel of Fate__. Since my last chapter, I have been trying to make much longer chapters because honestly, I think I could have done chapter 2 maybe even 3 a little better. Maybe I'm just being a little harsh on my writing ability but anyways. Here is chapter 4. I do begin to include some OC's; however, don't worry about these characters out shadowing the main character. The story will always follow your favorite hero and his adventures and hijinks. These guys just make it a bit more interesting. Enjoy!_

_kojh0124: Bro/Sis, thank you so much for your continued support. You've been so freakin helpful and awesome with your feedback. All I can say is that I hope this story lives up to your expectations._

_Author's note: I don't own Adventure Time_

Chapter 4: Another Hero

The young man opens his eyes. Glancing around, he came to the conclusion that he was on a couch in someone's house. However, this was not the type of house he was used to seeing. The walls were not candy, nor rock, nor wooden plank, like his own. The house seemed to be made of entire trunks of trees laid in a horizontal fashion. Between each log was a stripe of gray material. It was not hard to guess that it was this material that kept the trunks from falling away from one another. The house itself was quite small. Being limited in size, the house only had one true room. From where he lain, he could see a bed in one corner, a small kitchen with a stove in another, and the couch that he sat on tucked into the final corner. The house itself was triangular; however, each item of furniture still found a perfect space to fit.

"Ugh… Where am I?" the young man asked "How did I get here? Am I on the surface?" A splitting pain shot through the man's skull. Reaching up to caress his ache, his hands rubbed over a thin wrap of bandages. He was having trouble remembering.

"Who wrapped my head? Wait, I remember… someone knocked me out. But who saved me?" The young man slowly sat up. Besides his now building migraine, his body felt great. He no longer felt dehydration and exhaustion. He could still use a little bit more sleep though. Looking down at his body, the man was shocked at his condition. He was as pale as the coconut cream river that ran behind the Candy Kingdom Palace. Months of wandering in the tunnel had completely destroyed the color from his sun-kissed skin. He was now pretty sure that whoever had seen him in the train station, probably mistook him for a vampire or maybe a ghost. His muscle build was slightly smaller than he remembered. Thinking back, it was probably caused by his improper nutrition intake during the trip. After all, salted meat and dried fruit only get a person so far. The man rose to his feet. A brief thought flashed through his mind.

"Did I get taller?" He quickly shook off the notion. It was more likely that he was just not quite used to seeing his own feet again. Looking to his left, he noticed a small triangular end table on one side of the couch. Moving over to it, he noticed a multitude of photos taken of a happy young couple and their children. Picking up the largest framed photo, he noticed a giant green man flexing with one arm while he held his beloved in his other. They both were dressed like seasoned adventurers. The man's body was near the normal proportions to be human, but his triangular face partnered with the green skin ended that notion. His eyes were a deep blue color and his crooked teeth dropped through his brilliant smile. He face showed complete honesty and compassion for everything alive. The man's much smaller wife was a mix of brilliant autumn colors. Her eyes were a shade of light green and hair yellow hair cascaded down her back like golden ribbon. The couple showed a look of pure bliss and peace with one another and their life in general. Around the green man's feet, two young children laughed joyously while they gave chased to each other. A yellow boy chased an orange and green girl. Neither could have been older than five. The young man holding the photo noticed, for the first time, the weapons that each adventurer wielded. On the woman's back was a white long-sword with a shimmering emerald implanted into the beautifully crafted hilt. The green man had a long elegant bow. His weapon had two emerald gemstones; one on the top and one on the bottom where the string met the bow. He almost burst into laughter at the silliness of the couple. The petite woman was the expert swordsman and the large muscular man was the longbowman.

However, after calming his laughter at the photo, the young man began to stare at the genuine moment that was forever captured. Slowly, his eyes changed from amusement to longing. The picture almost mocked him; the dream, he knew, was so far away from his reach. The man and women were both perhaps in their early twenties. The young man himself was at least nineteen. He had set-off when he was eighteen, but he was sure he had missed his birthday while traveling underground. His stare became distant and he thought back to an earlier time, to a happier time... when his life was filled with endless joy and simpler problems. He saw a younger version of himself, sitting outside on a picnic blanket with a stack of cards in his hands. Across from him, was a bonfire that he had built himself for the comfort of his companion. Lying upon that bonfire was a fiery girl. Her hands were stuck out and away from the burning inferno and wrapped in aluminum foil. She too had a stack of cards in her hand and a pensive look on her face. A playing board separated the two warriors that were locked in an intense battle of skill and strategy. Their game was none other than…

Card Wars…

"_I send my fire troll to burn your enchanted library." _The fiery girl said

"_Sorry FP, I activate my Shield of Water. Your fire troll takes damage because it is a fire type. Now I counter by activating my water dragon. Due to its special ability, it won't take any damage from fire elementals." _The boy had a smug look on his face._ "Then I'll end my turn"_

"_What?! You didn't even attack!" _yelled the girl

"_I just feel it's a bit more gentleman-like to give the woman a fighting chance. Wouldn't you agree?" _The boy feigned nobility

"_You made the wrong move going easy on me just because I'm a girl. I activate the card, Trifector. After three turns of absolute inactivity from one of my creatures, I am able to summon two creatures of the same stats as the inactive creature. My fire mage has been inactive for three turns, and therefore, allow me to summon the fire magician and the fire wizard. Now, these three have a special ability, Elemental Origin. When all three are out on the field at the same time, they can change my entire side to whatever elemental type I choose. Now, I choose for my fire elementals to become lightning elementals!" _The girl proclaimed with vigorousness.

"_But that means…"_

"_That's right, your water elementals are weak against lightning and now, my attacks are doubled."_

The young man started at the opposite side of the playing field. The fire engulfing the enemy creatures was quickly doused as the flames shifted to pure electricity. How could he possibly defend against that? All of his grass elementals were rendered useless from FP's Volcanic Eruption card. He was utterly screwed. The pain ended quickly, the various magical electric beings rushed his side of the board. The dragon went quickly, his water swordsman put up a fight and wounded the troll, but he was still done away with. The elementals turned to his life bar and unleashed a volley of fury. It was over, the boy had lost. The girl was caught up in her victory. She yelled and laughed sitting on her bonfire. The boy was stunned, he had never lost. He had only ever lost to Jake and that was due to Jake's inability to accept defeat. He had played a variety of friends, BMO, Mr. Pig, Marceline… He had even played and won against PB at one point. After that though, she claimed that it was a trivial child's game and that her constant work in the lab had left her unable to think clearly. He had a feeling though that she was just trying to maintain her pride. But here he was, losing his first real match to his girlfriend who had never even heard of the game until this afternoon. The boy got up from sitting and knelt down in front of his girlfriend. The girl looked confused at his actions.

"_What are you doing?"_

"_This day… I have been bested by a master tactician. You now hold the honor of the title… Cool Guy." _the boy said. The girl had absolutely no clue of his and Jake's previous rankings for winner and loser. She just shrugged the oddness away and got up.

"_Okay then, for losing in battle you must now take the "Cool Guy" to dinner at the nicest restaurant in the Candy Kingdom." _she said while smiling at his crouched form.

"_It would be my honor milady." _the boy faked nobility once again. Laughing, they both took off running, leaving the board game behind. Their silhouettes against the setting sun showed their continuation of competition and tomfoolery as they raced off to the Candy Kingdom.

The moment was suddenly interrupted by a foot moving through the front door. An old woman emerged in the door frame. She was carrying a bundle of firewood in her arms. Her eyes quickly locked with the young man's. He, in turn, almost dropped the picture in his hands. It was her, the autumn woman from the photo. Suddenly, he realized that his face was no longer covered by his hood. He was not even wearing his iconic hat; she would notice his human features for sure. He quickly dropped the photo back on the table and reached around to the back of his neck for his hood. However, it was not there. There he was, in a strange land, meeting the first inhabitant, and he had already blown his cover.

Nice…

The old woman seemed to notice his internal strife and quickly responded.

"Don't worry young human, your secret is safe with me. I hung your cloak on the rack over on the wall there. It, along with you, were dirty beyond all comparison when I found you. I thought it would be nice to wash you both up as an apology for giving you a concussion." She said with a nervous smile. The young man turned a crimson color in response.

"You saw me naked?!"

"Oh don't you be getting yourself in a fuss now. I've had a husband and I've had to wash my children before, it's not like its anything new to me. I am much too old to do anything anyway."

The young man was still quite embarrassed and chose to stay quite.

"Sorry about knocking you out. That horrible metal screeching noise I heard coming from my food storage earlier and your pale, dirty skin made me think that you were some sort of feral vampire."

Nailed it…

"Anyways, when I found you, I thought you were on the brink of death. I decided, against my better judgment, to take you back home and try to get you back to health. I hope you're not associated with evil…" she said as she reached behind her cabinet and began to draw out a long white sword. Seeing the sword, the young man held up his hands.

"No, No. I would never associate with evil. I am somewhat of a hero where I come from after all." He said with a calm demeanor.

"A human hero huh? That's a new one. Where do you hail from?"

"Umm… I'm from a place that's very far away from here." he said

"I see, well would you care to give me your name" she responded. He had already blown his cover here. Would it be alright to just come out the whole way with his identity? No, he needed to play smart. The woman seemed friendly enough, but was that a risk he was willing to take?

"Davie. My name is Davie" he responded

"Davie?" She looked at him incredulously. "Why did you have the feeling to lie to the sweet old lady who just saved your life? Didn't you just say that you were a hero?"

"I'm sorry…" Her words felt like a heavy weight tied to his heart. The human felt so ashamed of his actions. He was supposed to be a hero, and that meant being gracious to whoever was nice enough to save him. From that point, he felt that she deserved to know whatever she wanted about his identity.

"It's alright my dear. How about we try again? What is your name young hero? she asked

"Finn, Finn the Human" he stated with determination

"So you really do have only one true name huh?" she asked with worry, "So where do you come from and how did you break down that large metal door in my produce storage building?"

This was how their friendship began. Finn the Human began with reciting the tale of how he came to discover the endless tunnel, his trip to the Market Kingdom for food and supplies, and finally to Wizard City to illegally purchase his air bubble. While he was telling of his journey through the tunnel, he became side-tracked. He told the woman tales of his friends and loved ones. He told of his adoptive parents, Jake, Bubblegum, Marceline, and the Ice King. He re-enacted moments of his stories, holding his head high when talking about saving the world from the Lich King and low when he mentioning his mistakes such as those with the princess of flames. So many emotions flashed through his eyes. They were all there; happiness, fear, bravery, valor, depression, honesty, compassion, jealously, anger. It was like a mask holding back all of his emotions had been removed right before the old woman's eyes. On the outside, she watched him intently. She clapped at his performances and patted his back during his sorrow. On the inside, she was studying every aspect of him. He truly did have the makings of a hero, whether he accepted it yet or not. However, this was a lesson that she could not teach him, he himself would need to learn first-hand. Eventually, Finn slowly died down as he finished up his tale with recalling his moment of being knocked in the head and collapsing on the sack of potatoes. After his story, he gave the old woman a funny look. She was staring at the wall, seeming to not pay attention to his words. Finn felt upset at himself for once again letting his emotions control his actions. The woman was indeed paying attention. She was just so lost in her own thoughts and emotions. In reality, the human's story had had a profound effect on her. His emotions brought forth hundreds, even thousands of her own emotions and memories that she once thought dead and gone. Shaking out of her stupor, she noticed the man's downcast face. Putting two-and-two together, she realized her mistake and apologized.

"I'm sorry Finn, I swear I was not ignoring your stories." she said

"Do not worry, it is fine even if you were." he said. The old woman meant to respond to the statement was cut off as the young man said…

"Glob it's late" She looked out the glass window. To her shock, the sun had long since gone down. She realized how hungry and tired she truly was. The morning sun will shine in within the next two hours or so. Looking at the young man she made a quick decision.

"Well I'm going to get some rest, feel free to stay the night if you want. By the way, you can call me, Mother Scarlett." she said happily. Finn suddenly blushed from realizing that he had just about given his entire life-story to a woman who he had barely known for a day. The woman shook her head in response and walked over to her kitchen.

"Could I prepare you some victuals young sir?" she said half-jokingly

"I would be delighted, what is on the menu this beautiful morning?" he joked back

"Homemade potato salad and some ale." she responded.

Ale? What exactly is ale? Was this perhaps that stuff that Jake had told him that he was too young to drink? After a few minutes, she returned to the couch with a massive plate of potato salad with two forks stuck in the mound. She also held two pewter jugs of ale.

"Thank you" the young man said taking his pewter jug. He was a little unsure of the whole eating-on-one-plate deal, but it was probably just another culture. He should learn to adapt to it quickly if he wanted to disguise himself in this new land. The potato salad was cold and not very flavorful. He wasn't about to make any negative comments on her cooking so instead he complimented the taste and flavor. The old woman seemed grateful for his compliment and continued eating. Eventually, the young man tried to wash down his food with the jug of ale. Tilting his head back, he took a massive gulp of the ale, hoping to quench his growing thirst. Instead, he instantly felt the need to regurgitate. It tasted so terrible and the burning in his mouth would not stop. Using all of his will-power, he kept himself from any shakes, shutters, and weird spasms that could have jumped though his body at any time. Eventually the feeling subsided and the hero felt more at ease. Suddenly, Mother Scarlett looked over at him.

"How is the ale? I brewed it myself."

"Tastes amazing!" he said through a half crooked smile. Now he did it. She asked him about quality and he sealed his fate by giving his approval. Now, he had to finish it.

The rest of the night, they ate in silence while Finn painstakingly nursed the ale in his hands until it was finally empty. When she asked if he had wanted another, he politely declined. At the end of their meal, he felt completely different. His face was red, his body was on fire, and his words slurred around every vowel. Looking at him, she just laughed and told him to go to bed. Stumbling over to the couch, Finn collapsed and passed out like a light. The old woman giggled.

"It's nice to have some company again. Looks like I'll have to wait until tomorrow to trade more information. He is gifted with more potential than I've seen in anyone in a very long time. I don't think he could ever realize how much the people here need someone like him. We need another hero." she whispered. The sun had begun to rise over the horizon of the mountainous lands. Looking over to the picture that Finn had held in his hands earlier, she repeated…

"We need another hero…"

The sun had already reached across the sky long before the hero rose. He was being shaken and he could faintly hear yelling.

"Finn, Finn! Wake up!"

He opened his eyes, it was Mother Scarlett.

"Finn wake up, please! I need your help." she pleaded. Finn shot up from the couch only for his headache to pull him back down.

"Ahh, Glob that hurts! What's wrong Mother Scarlett?" he asked

"Finn you need to help me. A band of mercenaries are trying to find and steal my harvest. You need to help me get rid of them please." she practically begged, "Oh and here, this medicine should dull your hangover."

Hangover? He didn't question her and took the medicine. He trusted her plenty. Walking over, the young man donned his cloak and hid away a few items from his backpack into his secret pockets. Leaving the backpack on the ground, he made his way to the door.

"Let us go" he spoke with heavy determination.

"Wait! Don't you need a weapon?" she looked at his arm where the green grass hid underneath, "From what you told me, your sword has been unusable for quite some time now"

"Its fine, I've become a master at improvising weapons because of this thing." he said casually "You'll see soon enough."

"No I will not! You need a weapon of some sort." she said as she walked to one cabinet and produced a hand sized hunk of steel. "This is my husband's old favorite. He named it Autumn. I would give you my sword, but the thing is so old, I'm afraid that it would break on the first swing. Sorry I don't have something else to give you, but if my husband made good use of it, I'm sure you will as well."

Receiving the hunk of metal, the young man noticed that the piece of steel was actually flat. Four finger holes were carved through the steel. Slipping the piece over his fingers he noticed that on the front, each finger carried a different letter; O, U, C, H.

"I would have loved to meet your husband" he said while rubbing his other hand over the engraved letters.

"They're normally called brass knuckles but these are steel and its pair was lost long ago." she responded. She was avoiding the topic of her husband. Finn picked up on this but didn't think this was the time or place to press the subject. Walking out the door, he turned around.

"Where is the storage located at?"

"It is directly east of here. The mercenaries are about south of that location. Make sure you scare them enough so that they run back to their friends scared. That should discourage future events. And… Finn?"

"Yeah?"

"It's broad daylight so, be careful." she said with worry

"Don't worry, they won't know what hit 'em." he said while flipping the long hood of his cloak over his head. Pulling out his compass, he reoriented his body. Lowering himself to the ground, he kicked his legs and sprinted off into the deep forest surrounding Mother Scarlett's cabin. The hero in him was back after months of hiding, and boy did it feel good.

A dark figure watched as four lightly armored foot-soldiers walked aimlessly through the forest. Mixes of orange, red, and yellow began to paint some of the trees as summer slowly changed to autumn. Thick underbrush made each of the soldiers complain except the leader.

"Bruce, how much further is this food cache supposed to be?" one foot soldier asked

"Quit your complaining it should be just a little further" The lead retorted

"We're probably lost on account of Bruce's terrible skills with orienteering" Another foot soldier noted. Multiple chuckles emerged from the group.

"Shut up Darryl, your being no help to the group!" Bruce exclaimed

"I don't even know why we're doing this. Are we not still in a drought? Shouldn't we be trying to bring back the food with us instead of destroy it? It doesn't even make sense to me" asked the last foot soldier

"I don't question command and neither should you. We do our job, get paid, then go and aimlessly spend it on life's little pleasures. Alright?" The exasperated lead said

"You getting us lost ain't gonna help us get this job done though" Darryl countered.

"That's it! I'm sick of the lot of ya! Walk in a straight line so I don't have to see your faces and keep your months shut unless you want to lose a months' pay." Bruce exploded

The men quickly replied by moving into single-file formation and immediately stopped their jeers. Fun was fun but only when it did not involve their wallets. The figure watching them silently laughed at how easy his job had just become. Running ahead of the group, the figure found a great hiding location and laid himself down among the thick underbrush. The convoy of soldiers slowly made their way passed the hidden figure. Their feet moved within his line of attack but still, the figure waited until the last soldier had passed by…

"William, retrieve the dynamite. We need to be ready and I think we are almost there." Bruce said, "William, come on, I'm not going to take away your months'…" he trailed off. William was gone…

"William?! William! Where is that blasted bastard? He has all the dynamite… Darryl, Joshua… fan out and find him."

The figure smiled and bounded away to his next victim. Meanwhile, Bruce walked deeper into the forest trying to find his friend. What if something happened to William? The man was secretly like a brother to him.

"Ahhh!" a distant scream rang out

"Darryl?! What happened? Where are you?!" Bruce shouted while pulling his sword from its sheathe.

"Bruce! There's something in the forest! We got to get out of her… Ahhh!"

A flock of crows jumped from the ground and took flight.

"Joshua?!" Bruce was visible sweating. It was broad-daylight yet he still could not see the attacker. In fear, he took one last desperate attempt to keep himself from being slaughtered without a fight. "Where are you?! Come out and fight me like a man!" he said while putting his sword up in front of his face.

Turning his head to the left, he saw nothing. Turning his head to the right, he saw nothing. Turning his head again to the left he saw something… A figure stood propped up against a tree with a massive trunk. His hands, and what was visible of his face, were pale white.

"Who are you?!" Bruce yelled out in fear. However, the figure stayed put, intent on examining something wrapped around the fingers of his right hand. Seeing he might have an opening, Bruce charged after the cloaked figure intent on impaling the thing with his sword. The figure seemed unfazed, choosing to lazily move around to the back of the massive tree truck.

"I've got you now!" Bruce shouted running around the tree and impaling his sword into the shadow caused by the tree. A look of true terror descended on his face as he looked up in time to see a figure falling on him with his fist outstretched. He could have sworn he saw he word OUCH engraved on the knuckles before his world sank into darkness. Before leaving, the figure wrote a note and left in on the unconscious body, like he had done to the past three soldiers. The note read, "**Leave this forest and never return**".

Finn returned later back at the house of Mother Scarlett. It was perhaps four in the afternoon and he really needed to set off soon. Where to? He did not know. He was hoping his heart would guide him to his next location, wherever that may be. He was in a new land, with barely any knowledge of it and its workings; however, he still felt good about his chances of getting back home. After all, as long as he's alive there is hope. That was a lesson that the tunnel had taught him the hard way.

Reaching for the knob, Finn turned it and entered the home. When he did, he noticed Mother Scarlett attempting to fill his water bottle to full capacity.

"Hello Finn! I was meaning to get this done before you came back but I think your bottle must have a leak or something. My old eyes aren't the best anymore. I've already put in two buckets full from the well and it still doesn't seem full" she said.

Finn just laughed

"Don't worry, it is a magic canister. It will hold much more than that, but thank you. Two buckets full should be plenty for now." he said

"How did the job go?" she asked

"Just fine, you should not have any mercenary problems any time soon." he said. The young man then attempted to remove the steel knuckle and give it to Mother Scarlett.

"Here…"

"Absolutely not! You still need a weapon and this one will treat you well. It is my gift to you, young hero." she smiled.

"I cannot thank you enough; you healed me, fed me, and even armed me. I am forever indebted to you." the hero bowed nobly

"I shall keep that in mind. But you should remember, never make a promise that you can't keep."

"I'm sure I will be able to fulfil this one, some day." the young man smiled.

"Well, I know you probably do not wish to take anymore gifts but I have two that I believe will be crucial for your journey" she said while reaching into her closet, "Here I found my last map. It is very small and it only contains a few landmarks such as the Forgotten Forrest and the Nature Kingdom but it is a start."

"No this is too much…"

"Nonsense! Also, this scarf has protected me no matter what weather was thrown at me. I believe it would also be nice to hide your identity if you happen to lose your hood."

Mother Scarlett wrapped the tan scarf around the young man's face and neck.

"There we go now. I can barely tell that your human." she said smiling

"Thank you, so much" the hero replied

"Quit your groveling boy. Get out there and save the world like a hero is supposed to do." she joked

Finn slowly retrieved his backpack and walked out the door. Turning around, he walked back to Mother Scarlett and hugged her for all the kindness she had shown him in the short two days he had visited.

"One last thing Finn. People around here generally have two names or more. Also, Finn is not a common name at all. You'll need a modified name if you wish communicate with others and not draw suspicion. Finley is slightly more common."

"Ugh… fine. I need a second name as well huh?" the man asked with disinterest

"Yes and it is important. I don't know what it is like where you come from, but last names represent your family heritage. They are quite important so pick one that you think would be good." she explained

Finn laughed

"What about Jake? That would be kind of weird though." he joked

"It would be weird. Jake is not a last name. How about Jacobs? Finely Jacobs? That sounds really good!" she exclaimed exuberantly

"Yeah… it's just wonderful" Finn replied sarcastically

"Oh don't be like that! Now you have a perfectly believable name. Just try not to slip up and call yourself something different. You need to keep your stories consistent."

"Alright, you are the expert of this land for all I know." he moaned begrudgingly, "Anyways, I believe it is time for me to go, thank you once again for your hospitality." the young man smiled

"You are always welcome here Finely Jacobs. Now go and fulfill your destiny."

"Goodbye Mother Scarlett!" the young man called as started to head off toward the trail marked on his newly acquired map.

Perhaps this is just what the young man needed… a fresh start. He now had food, water, health, and a map to guide his footsteps. He heavily debated actually using the new name that Mother Scarlett had bestowed upon him. It was definitely a change for the boy who had grown up mostly around people who preferred to be called by their titles or just a single name. But in the end, he decided that he would respect Mother Scarlett's knowledge of the matter. He felt good. He made his first friend in this strange land and was now on his way to the largest area located on his map, the Nature Kingdom. Things were looking up for the young hero. However, he still couldn't shake the feeling of homesickness that had been growing in his heart for quite some time. One day, one day he would return. He would finally be the hero that everyone needs him to be. Finally, he would be the hero Flame Princess needs him to be.

The sun had set down below the horizon before a large yellow man entered the triangular cabin. The man looked directly at the old woman sitting on her couch, staring at an old photo. She didn't even budge.

"Hey, you alright?" the man asked in concern

"Oh, hello Bruce, I didn't see you there. Yes I'm fine. How did things go." she asked. Her voice was full of melancholy as she refused to tear her eyes from the photo.

"Well as you can tell from my busted up face as well as the busted up faces of my team, it did not go very well." he said irritatingly. She finally looked up.

"I'm sorry Bruce, I needed you to see my peculiar find" she replied

"Well, you could have given me a little more information on the guy. I swear that man could have ended my life as well as the collective lives of my team if he had really wanted to. Honestly, I was expecting some sort of poorly planned, on-the-fly kind of assault. It wasn't even dark out! He picked us off one by one." Bruce sighed

"I'm really sorry, but now you see of his of his potential, yea?" she asked

"Aye, it was worth the rousing you gave me early this morning to "attack" your food supply. I have to say, I would not have believed you had I not seen him first-hand. What am I saying… the only part of him I saw was his fist!" the man complained, "Do you really think he could be the one?"

"I don't know. He certainly has the potentiality. Only time will tell what fate has planned for him."

"Shouldn't we have told him about our cause? If he truly is what you say he is, he should be very useful to us."

"No, no he needs to make the choice on his own. Otherwise, it would not truly be his own will to fight."

"I hope you know what you're doing." Bruce said

"Don't trust your own mother darling?" she asked jokingly

"Of course I do. I must get going. Command will need me back soon."

"Have a safe trip Bruce." Mother Scarlett said. She held out an open palm.

"For The Cause"

Bruce extended and placed his own palm onto his mother's.

"May it forever prosper"

_Oh my god. Bet you didn't see that one coming right? Anyways, I hope you enjoyed my story. If you did, don't be shy to leave a review. Criticism or praise is always accepted._


	5. Fight Club

Tunnel of Fate

_Hello my fellow supporters of fan fiction and welcome to the latest installment of __The Tunnel of Fate__. I hope the action of this new chapter will be action-packed enough for everyone. A side-note… my responses to reviews I will now move to the bottom of the chapter. Onward to adventure!_

_Author's note: I do not own Adventure Time…_

Chapter 5: Fight Club

The sun's warm rays radiated over the tall oak and spruce trees of the Forgotten Forest. The leaves danced in the cool morning breeze as it flowed through the treetops. The scene was utterly beautiful to the young man. From his position up a tall oak tree, in which he had stayed the night; he could see a tall clock tower indicating a nearby village. The tower was constructed entirely of wooden planks supported by large rocks melded together. The look was absolutely dazzling and it gave the tower an almost angelic appearance. The sounds of animals braying along with the clink of metal-on-metal suggested that this settlement was indeed inhabited. The night before, he had not been too sure of the town's existence. At night, the town's inhabitants were asleep. This left the area blanketed with an eerie silence that fit quite well with the surrounding forest.

"I must enter the village and refill my supplies" the young man thought. It was due to these new noises that had risen with the sun that young hero had been awoken to the settlement. He could have rejoiced in its presence. He had left the sanctity of Mother Scarlett's home about three days ago. The trip had been mostly uneventful. He had not even witnessed any type of intelligent animals. Most of what he had come into contact with had been either birds or furry, quadruped animals. The young man had attempted to start conversations with a few of these small animals; however, he had yet to make any sort of progress. Back home, he had experienced both speaking and non-speaking animals. The young man pondered how those animals even had the brain power to process the use of languages. Princess Bubblegum had mentioned that the radiation had created the changes and through the process of natural selection, these more intelligent birds and animals began to prosper over the "traditional animals", as she had put. However, it appeared that the small creatures here could not speak at all. Perhaps the radiation had not affected this area as much as back home. But how could he know for sure? The young man was just a simple adventurer.

"I must remember to purchase a sword or some type of weapon while in town. Roaming around the forest with only a single steel knuckle is dangerous." the young man thought. He was lucky to have not yet been attacked by some sort of large animal or a mercenary with a long weapon. Steel knuckles are not a weapon that can provide any sort of defense and in order to attack; the young man would have to get within an arm's length of his foe. The potential of getting within this zone of attack was almost impossible when you did not have something to deflect your opponent's sword.

When Finn had finally folded and tucked away his rope, he shouldered the now-packed backpack and scaled down the tree to resume his trek to the nearby village. He had secured sixty-four gold pieces into his wallet before leaving his treehouse behind. He hoped that he had enough gold to procure him enough sustenance to last his trip to the Nature Kingdom. He had thought earlier that he would have already reached the border of the kingdom by noon of his second day travel. This had ultimately proved incorrect as shown by his going on three days of travel. The map had shown the Forgotten Forest to be much smaller than it actually was. This next village, as he thought to be named Saar-Sven from the map, was only halfway through his trip to the kingdom border. He would most definitely be needing supplies from this town in order to continue.

After a few minutes of walking, the smells and sound of people pervaded the young man's senses. The smells of nature melded with those of fresh baked foods and goods from the town. The result was a mnemonic scent that left the hero reminiscing about his various walks though the cotton candy forests. He remembered one particular day. The sun was shining and the air was fresh. Finn had just picked up his girlfriend and together they set out for a picnic in the cotton candy forest…

oOo

"_Hey FP, This spot looks perfect!"_ a young boy yelled to his girlfriend.

His indicated spot was on a small cliff above a large pond. A cotton candy tree grew from the ground and provided a perfect sun-cover from the blistering heat of the summer day.

"_It's beautiful Finn. Did you remember to pack the sandwiches?" _the young girl asked

Setting down the picnic basket that he had been carrying, the young boy laid on the grass and began to root through the basket's contents.

"_Here you go FP! I think yours was the charcoal with petroleum sauce, right?" _the boy asked innocently

The two ate their meals in peaceful silence until a thought occurred to the young hero.

"_Hey FP, have you ever tried to eat anything other than your normal… ugh, combustible stuff?"_ he asked with genuine curiosity

"_No, not really. Most of the food that your kind eats is water based. You know, it's like extremely lethal to fire elementals."_

"_Yeah but, you must have some sort of humanoid heritage, right? I mean you look pretty human-like. The point is, you probably have taste buds that you haven't even used yet!"_ he yelled excitedly

"_Fine… I guess I would be willing to try something. But how am I even going to know what won't kill me?" _she complained

Noticing that he had already swallowed his entire sandwich, the young boy directed his attention to the forest around him. Seeing the bright pink trees, his brain struck an idea. Standing up, he tore a massive chunk off of one of the fluffy trees.

"_Here!" _he offered with renewed enthusiasm, _"Try this! It's really good!"_ he claimed while stuffing some of it down his throat.

"_What!? You would just eat the leaves from trees!? Isn't that like… unsanitary, to say the least?" _the girl asked. She was clearly thrown off by the boy's sudden appetite.

"_What? I don't know. These trees are cotton candy trees. The entire leave and branch structures are made of sugar. They're completely edible. Try it!"_

"_I don't know" _The girl asked with apprehension

"_C'mon please! I promise you, nothing bad will happen."_ the boy said with puppy-dog eyes

"_Alright" _The girl gave in. Reaching up, she grabbed a handful of the pink cotton and slowly stuck it in her mouth. The boy was absolutely overjoyed at this point.

"_Do you love it?!... FP?"_ the boy asked

The girl just sat there with her mouth closed and her eyes wide open. Suddenly she fell backward onto the grass,

"_FP!"_ the boy exclaimed. Fear filled his mind and clouded his ability to think straight. No he couldn't have… he couldn't have killed his girlfriend. She was one of the only people who truly liked him for who he was on the inside and not just his outer hero reputation. If she died by his hand… how could he live with himself? He crouched by the girl's side and attempted to lift her up by her shoulders. However, before the boy could finish this action, the girl was suddenly reanimated. Her eyes rolled to meet the hero and her mouth formed the silliest smile that he had ever seen.

"_This is the best thing I've ever tasted!" _the girl shouted out loud.

It was then that the young boy caught the faint scent of burnt sugar. It suddenly clicked in his brain. The sugar had been instantly vaporized by the young girl's heat but had managed to stimulate her taste buds before its demise. The boy grew a huge and goofy smile himself. All he could feel in that moment was relief and a yearning to hold the girl closer. However, physical limitations would always make that simple contact impossible between the two. This was just a fact of life. One that Finn himself had very little chance of overcoming.

The young man's concentration broke…

oOo

He had reached a small bridge leading into town. A wooden sign clearly showed the name of the town, Saar-Sven, with a symbol of two torches passing behind a diamond-shaped shield. By now, he could hear joyful music and vicious banter ricocheting throughout the wooden and stone building of the town. People crowded the streets in celebration. Clearly, this amount of people could not have the living space to stay year around in this town. They must have gathered from outside the town for some sort of festival. However, the man was too distracted by the earlier memory to give much notice to the town. His entire way across the bridge, the young man's thoughts were jumbled.

"That was the first time I was able to see just how deep of an impact she had on my life." the young man thought. This had been after the whole ordeal with their first kiss. He had thought that they would have both died at that point as well; however, he had still felt as though he could have changed the outcome of his fate with quick action. Jumping into the Earth's burning crust, he almost felt at peace. If she were to die, he would as well, right beside her. Yet underneath the cotton candy tree, he had felt so helpless. Had she died right then and there, it would have been bad enough that he was her killer; however, what struck the young man was the burden of having to live the rest of his life without her. He too could not have died along with his beloved that day. The sugar would not have done away with him like a poison in an old tragedy film. What he felt that day was fear… true fear, which clogged up his ability to think like heavy rust on a pair of stationary gears. He could not have performed the necessary actions to save her had the situation been dire. And above all, he had feared of being alone in the world once more. Finn lamented his fear… this was the fear that crippled heroes. The fear that breaks the stoic and melts the solid resolves of the most confident people. But this is why he was here wasn't it? To find a way to suppress his fears, his insecurities; to mature and become the hero that everyone needed him to be. He could not afford to feel this fear. He was a hero; it was his job to jump through the worse that the world had to offer and bring the innocent out safe on the other side. And as much as it pained him to leave behind his friends and the only girl that he had ever come to love behind… he needed this. "Hopefully, this journey will teach me to never fear what fate has to throw at me… because… as long as I'm alive, there is hope. I can always change my fate." they young man whispered to himself with resolve.

The young man had finally made it into the crowd that flooded the streets. He now took the time to take in his surroundings. The clock tower and its surrounding buildings were even more brilliant in their architecture from up-close. Green flags flew from their façades into the streets depicting the two torches with an orange-colored shield.

"It must be the crest of the Saar-Sven villagers" the young man thought. Many races of people milled all around. One race of people appeared from afar to have been covered entirely by small green scales. Upon closer evaluation, the scales were actually leaves. The construct of these people were entirely of leaves laced upon one another to form a very protective outer-layering. Another race was constructed entirely of different types of rock. Their bodies were lumpy and very unsymmetrical, yet they still mostly resembled humanoids. Some were made of brittle shale while others were hardened granite. The young man took notice to how some of them breathed a slight bit of fire from their noses when they exhaled heavily. These two types of people made up the majority of the crowd. A few cloud people and water elementals were seen but no true fire elementals, no candy people, and no humans. He was slightly disheartened by this fact. The prospect of a new area brought the chance of discovering more humans. But he should have known better, the humans died out long ago.

The party-goes partook in celebratory foods and danced in a designated "dancing area". A large band played some sort of upbeat music while street performers juggled sticks of fire. This appeared to have just taken form in the center of town where the main roads crossed. A massive bar at the corner of these two streets seemed to be attracting a great deal of these people. "Perhaps I should see what is going on." the young man thought silently. Suddenly, however, a different sign caught the young man's eye. A gray rock man hammered away on a brightly glowing sword. It was a blacksmith's shop. Abandoning his curiosity for the tavern, the seasoned adventurer pushed his way through the crowd to the front of the blacksmith's shop.

"Aye, weary traveler. Looking for some new armaments I see. Well you came to the right place. Ol' Hennery Siam is my name, but you can just call me Hennery. What can I get for you? Perhaps some suitable armor to protect your body from harm? A simple cloak won't stand up to the slash of a sword my friend." the smithy exclaimed. It was obvious from his quick and overly-friendly speech that the man was attempting to make a sale.

"If the price is right and the quality is good" the young man replied unfazed. His eyes scanned the rows of weapons and fell on one with a green hilt and a wicked-looking black blade. It was a long-sword and it looked of great peculiarity. "How about that one? Does it have a history?" the young man inquired

"Ah good choice my friend. This is a legendary sword, it is said to have been used by the famous Arthur the Third during his siege on Fort Shalahon." The man exclaimed. Any person with less sword experience than the young man himself would not have known that the story was a fake. The sword looked much too new and scar-free to have ever weathered any battle before. However, the sword still looked of good quality.

"How much gold?" the young man inquired. After some pondering, the smithy responded.

"How about seventeen?"

Seventeen gold pieces for such a quality sword? It was almost too good to be true. In his excitement the young man asked, "Seventeen gold pieces?"

The smithy burst out into laughter.

"Your funny my friend. No, seventeen-thousand gold pieces."

The young man briefly lost his stoic expression. "Seventeen-thousand gold pieces?!" he thought. He wasn't good at math by any stretch of the imagination… but seventeen-thousand?! He was sure that even his treasure room back at the treehouse did not hold enough gold. Hennery saw the drop in the young man's face and responded.

"What kid? You should know better. Rising inflation rates along with the poor crop growth this year and the commonality of gold doesn't make your money worth a whole lot. Why don't you try getting some Kingdom Money? It would only cost nine-hundred dollars then and most stores will accept it. Okay?" the man said with a tired look

The young man was still in disbelief when he left the store.

"Stupid outsiders." the smithy grumbled, "Trying to use primitive money to buy modern wares."

After finding out that he was flat-broke, the young man wandered around the rest of the festival. He needed money to restock his supplies and continue his journey. Water could easily be found at the river that he had passed on his way to the town, but food was a little more difficult. He could not hunt his own food with only a single steel knuckle. Animals would not be nearly as stupid as the four mercenaries in the forest had been. He needed to make some of this Kingdom Money while he was here and he needed it soon. Suddenly, the music from the band was cut and the voice of an announcer came on.

"Welcome everyone to the Annual Saar-Sven Fight Tournament!" An excess of cheers followed the announcement. "The matches are about to begin where fighters will punch it out for a chance to win the title of Master Fighter, a secret weapon, and eight-hundred dollars!" the announcer screamed. The crowd followed suite and began to holler and shout. "Late entries are still available for two lucky fighters! First come first serve! That is all!" the announcer finished.

"I've got to do this… This is my chance to regain my footing. I need that money so that I can continue my journey to the Nature Kingdom." he thought

"But fighting your way thought people to get it? Doesn't it seem wrong?" a part of him reasoned

"But these people I will fight will probably be no better than those arrogant wizards that I had to face in the Wizard Tournament." he reasoned "These people would probably be some of the most disrespectful and dishonorable people the land had to offer" he felt slightly more justified about punching one or two in the face at this point. With his choice clear, the young man walked up to the announcer who had sat down on a chair outside of the bar.

"I'd like to enter the tournament." The shrouded young man said while wasting no time with formalities.

"You're in luck kid, you've got the final entry number. A few rules thought, no bladed weapons allowed and no blunt two-handed weapons. That excludes your brass knuckles there." the announcer said unenthusiastically

"It's a single steel knuckle." the young man countered

"Yeah… anyways no magic, potions, or groin shots. Misconduct of the rules will cause you to be escorted out painfully by one or more of the many bouncers around the bar, is that understood?" the announcer asked

"Yes"

"Alright, I just need your name."

"Finely Jacobs"

"Peculiar name… Okay Mr. Jacobs, head on to the back of the bar and wait until we announce you to fight. We have a medic standing by when you need it." the announcer said with a snide smile

"Thank you" the young man just faked gratitude along with a smile. He walked away ignoring the man's previous comment. He couldn't afford to lose this… literally.

oOo

Finn was not the first one called up to fight. He, along with a few of the other fighters, were allowed to leave the backroom and sit in at the bar. Although he thought that this may not be the most honorable way… allowing your opponents to evaluate you before you even fight. It soon occurred to the young man that many of those who had entered the contest were simply downing ale and chatting around with each other. Many were becoming drunk before the sun had even hit noon. A massive area in the center of the building was designated for the combatants. People stood all around the outside ring just hoping to catch a flying tooth or maybe even a stray punch. The entire place was pandemonium to the young man at the bar. He had originally thought that this tournament would be a little more open, perhaps a little more grand. The whole thing reminded the young man of those "late night fights" that his brother Jake had always gone to see in the bad side of the Candy Kingdom. Finn had always been too young to go but this seemed almost exactly like what his brother had described the scene as.

Suddenly, the sound of a shattering window pane broke the young hero's thoughts. The crowd cheered uproariously. He felt a sudden sickness in his stomach. Looking to the front of the building, the entire window was blown out. The combatant had just launched his opponent through the window and out into the street where many more onlookers were now trying to urge the fallen man to get up.

The scene was absolutely sickening to the young hero. He quickly took a look at the medic on the far side of the room. The young medic's expression said it all… disgust and anger. Finn's reaction to the situation was quite similar. For a second, the young man felt a tinge of guilt. He too would be forced to eventually make the young medic's job harder. This guilt however subsided when the young hero took a glance at the man who had just launched his opponent through the building's window. He had a very peculiar smile on his face matched with a similar gleam in his eyes. It was as though the man had found some sadistic pleasure from beating his opponent to near death. The man was a brute made entirely of large circular granite rocks that looked almost impenetrable. His heavy breathing produced flames to fly from his mouth and even his eyes at times. He was truly a force to be reckoned with. The young man felt rage building inside of him while looking at the granite man. Suddenly, the intimating man met the gaze of the shrouded hero. The granite man had expected to scare the young man like so many of his other opponents. However, the hero's rage allowed him to keep his cool. The Granite man almost looked to have become un-nerved for a brief second; this was soon replaced with an unmistakable gleam in his fiery pupils. Finn had seen this look before on only one other person. The Lich King himself. It was a glare of absolute murderous intent…

In that moment, a small shiver ran down the hero's back. He realized that this granite man would most definitely battle his way to the finals. Finn would have to fight him eventually…

_Response time…_

_Ooobserver: Thanks for your support dude, I appreciate it. I hope this story continues to live up to standard._

_kojh0124: Great to see my stories are still entertaining people. Thank you bro. BTW… I would be very interested in hearing who actually thought about, and wrote about, a "nacho kingdom". Freakin' hilarious._

_Fiery Crusader: Thanks man, I really do appreciate the comments. Let me also take the moment to say that I love your name. It's like one of the toughest usernames that I have seen so far._

_I hope you've all enjoyed this. Please let me know what you liked or didn't like. I love getting feedback for my stories._


	6. A Long Day

The Tunnel of Fate

_Hello once again people of the internet. Today, I bring you the next installment of __The Tunnel of Fate__. I am completely out of words to say, soo…what time is it? ...story time! I'm sorry, that was terrible…_

_Author's note: I don't own A.T._

Chapter 6: A Long Day

The crowded exploded into raucous cheers as yet another fighter collapsed onto the wooden floorboards. A thin green man had made his way out from the backroom and took an empty seat at the bar next to Finn. The man seemed to be about three years older than the hero, if that. He looked to be constructed of some type of forest vines. Large vines ran vertically down his torso and legs while smaller vines highlighted his skin and made his head. Small black eyes stared out at the fight beyond. This was definitely one of the most interesting constructs that the young hero had ever seen. The thin green man just pulled out a large canteen as he took his seat.

"Looks like that poor guy didn't see his opponent's left hook." the green man said. The young hero just muffled a laugh, amused also by the man's inability to dodge the deadly punch. This guy seemed nice enough to start a conversation.

"You know, when I had entered this tournament, I had sort of expected something a little more… dignified, than fighting in some dark, dank bar." the hero remarked. This earned him a few seconds of laughs from the green man next to him.

"Seriously?!" he replied with quite a bit of surprise, "This is the Saar-Sven Fight Event. It has never been the most glorious of the fight events. Now, the Platinum Gauntlet… there is a prestigious fight event. Those people are the best of the best; hand-selected by the king of the Nature Kingdom himself. In order to get in though, you must either know the king personally, or you must prove yourself worthy through many trials of dangerous and rigorous testing." the green man said. He almost sounded like an expert on the subject.

"Wow…" the hero almost felt like a young kid again hearing about such a grandiose tournament. He was left with wonderment and a newfound determination to prove himself worthy of participating in this… Platinum Gauntlet.

"I know, I hope that one day… I will stand in that open arena while people shout my name. This is my dream, so today, I must win to secure it. That tournament is in a few months but I'm waiting to enter until after I've acquired a little more fight practice." he stated. The hero noticed the determination in the green man's eyes.

"How long have you been fighting?" he asked

The green man's determined eyes instantly faltered and changed into those of surprise. It was as if he had not fully understood the question. Slowly, the green man grew a sheepish grin.

"Ugh… well… I train all the time with wooden dummies… but I've never really fought hand-to-hand with anyone yet." he nervously responded. Now it was Finn's turn to be surprised.

"What?! Then why are you here? You can't get serious training from enemies who can't even move!" the hero was exasperated by the green man's mental reasoning.

"You didn't even know anything about the Fight Events around the land. When did you become a legendary fighter?" he retorted

"I've been in way too many fights in my life. I've won some… I've lost some… Each fight brings new knowledge, new skills, and a new chance to learn from mistakes. Nothing prepares you more than genuine fight for your life." the hero stated with absolute conviction. However, the green man could not see the piercing blue eyes that stared at him from under the hood of the shrouded hero's coat. The hero's words did not have their full effect on the green man.

"Maybe… I don't know. I have studied as many techniques of martial arts as I possibly can. Shouldn't that count for something?" he asked

"Studying technique has its place and usefulness. Honestly, I never truly became a decent fighter until I began to research and study technique; however, a book cannot teach you everything. There are two essential parts to fighting; identification and action. Only knowing what to do in a situation does not necessarily mean that you can act on it. You must be able to physically perform what you know or else there is no point to your knowledge." The green man took notice to the young hero's stare. Although he still couldn't see his eyes, the green man was sure that the hero was intently watching the ongoing fight in the center ring. The hero almost seemed to be talking to the fighters rather than the vine man beside him.

"Trying to perform an action without properly analyzing your opponent leaves you open to attack. You become your opponent's own personal punching bag because you cannot read into their movements. I cannot count how many times I took hits because I attacked when I should have blocked; blocked when I should have evaded. Do you understand?" the hero asked. The vine man seemed to be starting to understand; nodding his head slowly periodically. The hero broke from his trace to watch the vine man's head sink along with the rest of his facial features.

"Maybe it was a mistake then; thinking I was ready for this." the man said with downcast eyes

"Maybe… or maybe not. You said yourself that you know what to do in many different types of situations right?" the hero said

"Yeah, but what if you are right? What if when it comes time to fight… what if I can't perform the needed actions like you said?" the green man's voice was slightly cracking. Finn could just barely here it over the roar of the crowd.

"It is possible… but how would you ever know unless you tried? When you step out into that ring tonight… you need to be as confident in yourself as you were when you first sat down in this bar stool." the hero indicated to the man's seat

"I'm not feeling too confident any longer to be honest." the man admitted

"But everything that you feel right now is all mental. You have not physically changed. Look, if you had gone out without knowing of what could happen… then how could you prepared for it? You're at a greater advantage now. You now know what it's going to take to win. A foolish man does not prepare against his enemies and feels confidence; but it is a wise man who prepares for his enemies before he feels confidence." the hero repeated. This had been a quote, word-for-word, spoken to him from his wise mentor Rattleballs. The green man turned his head to find the piercing blue eyes of the hero gazing into his face.

"What is your name?" he asked out of awe and respect

"Finely Jacobs!" the announcer shouted over the microphone, "…and Marius Portorello! Please report to the center stage and prepare for immediate combat!"

"Looks like that's me" the green man said rising from his seat, "I cannot thank you enough. It was nice speaking with you, uhh…"

"Finely Jacobs" the hero said with a smile, "…and the pleasure is all mine." he said while pushing off his seat and walking to the ring; the surprised and slightly intimidated Marius followed shortly behind.

Pulling himself up onto the designated stage for fighting, Finn turned around and offered a hand. Pulling Marius up with him, he began to speak to the green man.

"Marius, if this is truly to be your first real fight, then allow me to say that I am honored to be your opponent."

The green man was absolutely stunned

"What?! Why?" he asked utterly perplexed. The hero sighed.

"Right now, you need to face me with as much strength and as much confidence as you can hold in your body. I need you to go all-out."

"Why?! You're so much more experienced than me. You're probably just going to beat me anyways, I could just forfeit." Marius reasoned

"No! How long have you dreamed to be in the Platinum Gauntlet, Marius?"

"I've had that dream since I was a little boy. It is the only thing I have truly wished for every day of my life."

"Then don't ever… ever… give up on that dream. You need this Marius. You need to fight me. You need to prove to yourself more than anyone that you have what it takes to achieve your dream."

Finn walked calmly to his side of the ring and fell into a fighting stance.

"You can't give in, you need to go all out… because we both need this victory."

The hero slowly reached up and removed his steel knuckle from his fist and tucked it away into one of his concealed pockets. The man in front of him was honorable, he deserved a fair battle. Looking at Marius's fighting stance, he looked a little tense; however, deep behind his eyes, the hero could see a blazing inferno of determination. Finn smiled inwardly, seeing that his words had few words had made such an impact on Marius.

The crowd was roaring with anticipation, a man was yelling out for last minute bet-placing, and finally… the ring of a bell. Time seemed to slow down for the hero. The yelling onlookers became more of a dull murmur until they were completely forgotten about. Eventually, all that was left was his opponent and the floor beneath them. Finn was ready, but from the look in the green man's eyes, it seemed that the hero was not the only one. They both prepared for one of the best fights of their lives.

oOo

The scene was spectacular. The two figures danced in perfect rhythm. One would swing while the other would side-step. Then the roles would be reversed. Punches and kicks were thrown, swung, blocked, evaded… with only the rare occasion that they would connect with their intended targets. Finn may have addressed his adversary on his excellent display of technique had he not been so immersed in the fight.

The entire time, the green man had kept the young hero on his toes. Both fighters had realized that one mistake could cost them the fight. It was the young hero who had noticed that he had always had the upper hand. Many times he had found small openings in Marius's stance. Using his honed abilities of dexterity, the young man could have leveled several kicks or punches into Marius's chest. However, the hero each time did not allow himself to finish his opponent, instead laying only quick punches to his appendages. Marius had some unbelievable skills for someone in his first real fight. The man was not nearly as agile as Finn, yet his thorough knowledge of fighting technique allowed him to identify and block the hero's attacks efficiently. This was, if he was quick enough. As much as he needed to win this battle, the young hero felt it would be a great disservice to not give his adversary the good fight that he deserved.

Although neither fighter paid any attention to it, the crowd loved the display. While the earlier fights had been focused about bashing the opponent's teeth out, the onlookers could tell that this fight seemed more. They watched as the punches seemed to get more tired and spaced out. Finn shifted his style to match Marius and they continued their movements at a slower pace.

After twenty solid minutes of swinging, Marius was relying on heavy, but slow, attacks to repel his opponent. Finn himself was feeling quite tired from his own exertion and decided that it would be best to end the match soon. Seeing his next opportunity, the hero gathered some of his reserve strength and shot his fist into Marius's chest. The green man faltered and staggered backward. Suddenly his legs gave out and the green man fell to the ground. Finn barely had enough time to grab then man's head before it bashed onto the wooden floor. The crowd cheered once more.

"And we have a winner!" the announcer yelled, "Finely Jacobs moves onto the next round!"

Finn could not have cared less at that moment; he was too worried about his new friend. The medic rushed out to meet them.

"It's fine Mr. Jacobs, he just looks like he passed out from exhaustion. He'll be alright after some rest. I'm surprised the both of you were able to last so long throwing those hits like that." the medic said

"Thanks Doc, is there a safe place I can move him to?" the hero asked

"Yeah, let's head out the backdoor, my clinic is right across the street."

Nodding his head, Finn scooped up the unconscious man and carried him to the door with the medic in tow. The announcer's voice came back on.

"Okay round one is completed. At this time, we will be taking a short intermission. The next match begins in ten minutes!" he yelled. Finn had stopped on his way next to the announcer.

"Hey, do you think you could send someone to get me when my next fight starts? I kinda need to get to the clinic right now."

"Yeah, don't worry about it kid. After that performance, I wouldn't want to have you miss your fight. The crowd loved you." the announcer said, "Just make sure you get back here as fast as you can alright?"

"Thank you" the hero replied. With that, he walked out the backdoor and into the summer winds. It was certainly not a cold day, but compared to the heat from inside the bar, the hero wouldn't want to be anywhere else. The air did well in cooling off his sweat-glistening skin. Entering the doctor's office, the hero found a clean bed and laid his friend down to rest.

"Thanks for this Doc" The young man gave his gratitude with a pat on the medic's back.

"Certainly, it is my job after all. And I also have you to thank for making mine just a little bit easier. Reconstructing appendages and facial features all the time isn't exactly a fun time for me." the medic responded with a tired voice. The medic began to root around in his bag while Finn took a seat on another clean bed. The adrenaline was wearing off and the hero was beginning to feel the full extent of his muscle exertion.

"Are you the only doctor in town?" he asked in a surprised tone. Back home, every kingdom was required to provide its towns and villages with an adequate supply of doctors and medical supplies. A clinic would usually have four to five doctors.

The doctor's face opened up with a weary smile. His eyes though, seemed much happier that the question was asked.

"No, my partner Julia is in the surgery ward right now. There was a man who was thrown through a window earlier in the competition. He was wounded pretty badly." the doctor grimaced, "Nothing a little magic healing can't solve… eventually."

Both men look up as a light above the surgery ward blinked red. The door slid back to reveal a young blue woman dressed in medical scrubs. She was covered in an orange fluid which the hero had assumed to be blood.

"How did the operation go, Julia?" the man asked his partner.

"Not as good as I would have liked. He might have some memory loss from the concussion and he won't be walking around for quite a while until his legs heal back to normal."

"At least he is alive." the doctor said. He returned to searching inside of his bag. Julia walked over to Finn.

"What are you here for? You don't look like you lost in the Fight Event." she said. She was quite on-edge due to the hero's mysterious atmosphere.

"That is because I won my match. My name is Finely Jacobs." Finn said while extending his hand. The woman took it with her own.

"Julia Coppola, I'm the head surgeon. This is my partner Daron Whyte. He handles all the problems that I don't want to deal with. Isn't that right Daron?" she asked teasingly

"Whatever you say Julia." Daron had finally pulled his hand out of his bag and walled over to Finn, "Finely, take this medicine. You exerted a great deal of energy in that last fight and I'm sure you could use the boost." The doctor pushed a vial of red liquid into the hero's hand.

"Thank you doctor. Though may I ask, what is in this potion?"

"That is the oil from an opal eel. You must drink some and pour the rest onto the hurting areas for it to take effect." Daron said not really paying attention. He was currently applying another full vial to Marius's unconscious form.

Finn uncorked the bottle and looked at the liquid. It sure didn't smell great and he wasn't quite sure what an opal eel was; however, this man was a doctor after all. He took a sip of the red liquid. He tried not to gag as the liquid flowed down his throat. The taste resembled a little of eating raw fish. After drinking and applying some of the oil to his arms and legs, he could instantly feel energy returning to his body.

"This is amazing" the hero said in shock, "I can actually feel the energy returning to my body" the surgeon chuckled at the hero.

"Yes, there are some amazing natural remedies out there. It just takes a little time and a little knowledge to find them." she said

"You wouldn't happen to have a book on collecting and creating these remedies would you?" the hero asked. To be able to find and make these healing potions would be very nice to someone who tended to get hurt as often as the hero.

"Of course, you cannot keep it though, I have only one." she said while retreating behind a desk. She scrounged around until she removed a brown colored book. She walked back over to the young man and offered it to him.

"Here, you can look through it for a while if you want. I can tell that you're not from around here so if you have any questions about the different plants or animals you can feel free to ask." the woman said with a smile

"I cannot thank you two enough" Finn said to the two doctors. They both just laughed.

"We are doctors, it is kind of our job to fix up and prevent injury." Daron signed, "I got to get back to the bar. No doubt more people are going to get injured tonight."

"Good luck Daron!" Julia yelled as the man made his way out into the street. Finn momentarily noticed the dreamy look that overtook the woman's eyes as she stared toward the front door. The hero smirked.

"Have you told him yet?" the hero asked. The woman was suddenly thrown off by his words.

"What?!" she quickly reined in her emotions and spoke a little calmer, "What do you mean?"

"You both seem to be a little tired with your work. Perhaps you might find some solace within each other. Just think about it?" the hero said. He did not want to intrude much into their personal lives but the subtle hints were enough for him to know.

"Right, uhh… thank you, Mr. Jacobs." she said looking at the floor, "Anyways, I must go check on my other patients, you may stay as long as you need but please do not steal anything on your way out"

"I promise. Hero's Honor." the man responded humbly while raising his right hand. He quickly realized his mistake. He is supposed to be an inconspicuous traveler and he had just admitted his hero status. Luckily for him, the surgeon just began to laugh while she exited the room.

"Hero, good one!" she said in between her jolly laughs

"Why is that so funny?" the man whispered to himself. He chose to just ignore it and opened up his newly acquired book on medicine. The cover was brown leather and the title read, _Natural Remedies and You_. At least, until he was called for his next fight, the young man could rest up and discover more about the plants and animals about the land. If such a simple potion could rejuvenate him like the opal eel oil, who knew what kinds of other potions existed in this world.

oOo

Daron opened the front door to the clinic while helping in a water elemental who was limping with a broken foot. Finn saw this and quickly rushed over to lend a hand. Moving himself under the man's other shoulder, they picked him up and laid the water elemental on a clean bed.

"Thanks" the doctor said to Finn, "Though, I believe it is your time. Please be careful." the man said with worry in his voice

"Do not worry about me Daron, I shall return in one piece. I will be back to check on Marius once the event is over. Take good care of him, will you?" the hero asked

"Of course, see you soon Finely"

With that, he laid the brown leather book onto a table and walked out into the street. It was beginning to get late. The hot winds earlier had begun to cool with the approaching night and the sun had started to dive below the mountains around the horizon. The sky was lit with beautiful shades of oranges, yellows, and reds. Once again, the young man found himself thinking about the dazzling girl of his dreams. In the air, he could see whips of fire dancing around in the horizon and blanket the region it its color. Finn bowed his head and he turned a corner to the front door of the bar. He needed to win this… to go home.

The crowd had begun to calm down a little since the hero had last seen them. Many of them were now sitting down at tables and ordering various foods and ale to last them through the night. Finn sighed mentally as he pushed his way through the crowd. This tournament would last deep into the night.

Finn made his way into the ring where he found his opponent drinking ale and chatting loudly with nearby spectators. The young man was slightly surprised to see that his opponent was wearing a full chest plate of chainmail armour. His face was concealed by a metal plate that made identifying him near impossible. The man had two iron plated gauntlets that covered both hands. Short, dull spikes stuck out from the back of the palms of his hands and curved around his fists. They looked almost like the claws of a feral beast. Upon noticing the hero's arrival, the man chucked away his jug of ale into the crowd and prepared himself to fight. The announcer came back on to announce the next fight but Finn wasn't paying attention.

"His chest, forearms, hands, and head are completely protected by armour. That leaves potential strikes to the legs, feet, upper arms, and neck; unless I can remove his armour somehow. His heavily armoured fists suggest that his swings will be slow yet very painful if they connect. Attacking straight on will allow him time to prepare for a swing. I'll have to use rely on my agility to evade and counter-attack." The hero thought. While he was forming a plan, the armoured man strutted around the ring and posed for the crowd. It was then that the young man noticed a distinctive crest on the man's chest plate. Two torches placed behind an orange shield… the Saar-Sven crest. It suddenly occurred to him that this man might be the hometown favorite. This posed a new problem for the hooded hero. With a group of spectators as disorderly as these people are, the last thing he wanted was a riot. Imagine what their reaction would be if their symbolic man was so easily taken down by a nobody like the hero. Although he looked quite intimidating with his black coat and tan scarf, in a room full of drunk, burly men, the hero barely stood a chance to the crowd. The close spaces of the bar also meant that fleeing was not possible. In order to prevent rioting and still win, he had to find a way to win the match but also win the crowd. The metal plated enemy saw the shrouded hero's heavy sigh.

"Oh? What's the matter boy? Are you ready to get a beating from last year's reigning champ?" the man yelled loudly. Some spectators let out a shout of praise toward the armoured man. The shrouded hero just smirked beneath his hood. This is how he could win some of the crowd.

"Oh I am incredibly sorry… I was just waiting for her majesty to finish. You know how long it takes woman to get ready for anything." the hero retaliated. Many people in the room began to laugh loudly while some of the more intoxicated men made their own jokes toward the metallic man.

"You can't talk to me that way you arrogant brat! You look like you couldn't last a single punch in your chest!"

"I don't need to… you won't even get a hit on me." the shrouded hero said, "You hid under so much armour, I'm starting to think that maybe you are the one who is afraid to take a real hit." the hero almost yelled. The crowd seemed to be enjoying the small exchange of insults. Perhaps it was just the alcohol though.

The metal man reached up to pull off his mask. From underneath the protection of his hood, the hero almost laughed at how easily he had agitated his opponent. The man was red with anger and his face contorted into a contemptuous frown. "You talk pretty tough for a man who hides his face!"

That had done it. The spectators now had their full attention on the fighter. They had begun to make jokes and jeer at the young man. One man even through his pewter jug at the young man's feet. The crowd was starting to get out of control. The young man's mind was rushing. If he didn't remove his hood, the crowd may start to destroy the bar; if he takes off his hood, the crowd might recognize him as a human. He could no longer be a simple yet enigmatic drifter traveling around the countryside. This could blow his cover and make the rest of his journey that much more difficult. He also did not know of these people's disposition to humans. People had tried to kill him before due to being human. Some had claimed that he should pay for the crimes of his race and the destruction of the world so long ago. Finn reached up and grabbed his hood. An old saying that he had heard Marceline use one time ran through his mind, "Damned if you do, and damned if you don't". This described his situation perfectly. Throwing caution to the wind, the young man whipped his hood off and prepared for whatever came next.

The jeers had stopped. The only thing that the hero could hear was his own raging heartbeat. Slowly, he snapped open his eyes directly at the man on the other side of the ring. The metal man visibly flinched at seeing the young man's blue eyes piercing through his being. The crowd also noticed the man's momentary flinch and burst out laughing at the supposedly unbeatable metallic man. Finn's ears burned as he listened to the words being tossed around the bar. He was waiting for someone… anyone… to say the word, human. To the hero's bewilderment, it never came. Did Mother Scarlett's scarf really disguise him that well? The scarf did cover the bottom half of his face, but his golden hair was still visible on his head. Perhaps it was just because these people had never actually seen a human that they could not identify him. The hero stole a glance into the crowd. Some of them looked like they were trying to identify him but with no luck. These people just went back to their meals or chatting amongst each other. One man in the back was climbing up onto his bar seat from the floor. It was odd, but the hero disregarded it.

"I'm getting real sick of this, come and fight me you coward" the metal man yelled. Finn walked forward while slipping the steel knuckle back onto his hand; he would happily oblige.

A gauntleted fist flew out at the young hero. He ducked right and planted a solid punch to the man's side. The metal here was visibly thinner and crumpled easily under the force of the reinforced fist. The young man followed up by an uppercut to the metal man's now exposed face. He was too slow to react and soon the metal man's head was forcibly directed to look at the ceiling. The heavy weight of the armour pulled him down and his body fell backward onto the floor. Most dishonorable fighters would have pummeled the downed enemy; however, Finn was not one of these. He walked to the other end of the ring and waited for his opponent to regain his footing.

After standing up, the metal man swore a string of curses at the young hero and charged. This man was no longer even being careful; he was relying on brute strength to save himself. Finn would make sure the man suffered from his careless decision. Within a second of being rammed by his opponent, the young man dove left. In mid-flight, he kicked out and into the knee of the charging man. The knee buckled and the man's balance failed him. The metal man lost control of his momentum and flew out of the ring. Those who were not laughing before were certainly now.

The metal man crawled back into the ring panting heavily. Suddenly, the metal man tore off his heavy metal chest plate. It was obvious that it was only to be cumbersome to him at this point. Finn smiled under his scarf, now it was his turn. The hero charged his disoriented foe and landed an unrelenting succession of quick blows to his chest. The metal man just stood there was he took hit after hit. Eventually, he tried to stop the beating by raising his metal-plated arms across his chest. Finn was ready though. Projecting all of his energy into his foot, the young man shot his foot into the metal man's stomach. The poor, arrogant man flew backward and landed in the crowd. He gasped and choked for the air that had been forcibly removed from his lungs. As he saw the hero approaching he found enough oxygen to speak.

"St... Stop! I give… y… you… win" the man choked out. The bar cheered. The young hero had actually done it. He had swayed the crowd, beaten out another opponent, and kept his true identity hidden. Finn allowed himself to stand with pride while looking out at the crowd.

"And the winner this round is… Finely Jacobs!" the announcer boomed

People chanted his name. He nodded to the crowd and flipped his hood back over his head. The victorious hero made his way to the backroom of the bar. For the first time in a very long time, Finn allowed himself to take pride in his accomplishments. Sitting down on bench in quiet seclusion, the hero picked a photo out of his coat pocket. A smile appeared on his nose while he looked down at an all too familiar face. A single tear rolled out of his eye and fell onto the photo's smooth surface.

_Hope you enjoyed. Feel free to leave a response or favorite or whatever._

_Ooobserver: Love the movie reference. Thank you, I will probably add a few more flashbacks later on just to add more background and emotional parts. It is kinda hard to do when the pairing is so far away from each other._

_kojh0124: Thanks, I hope this fight was good. Really it was my first time writing an actual fight and it was harder than I thought. Haha, I wish it had 20 favs but I'm just happy I have people following the story. It's pretty cool seeing people read your work._

_Rick: Thank you so much, it's nice to see that I am still entertaining the public. I hope the fights satisfy you. Hmm… I wonder what your name is?_


	7. Grit and Blood

The Tunnel of Fate

_Welcome back people of the internet. It has been quite some time, I know… but please pardon my absence. School has been a huge jerk recently. Anyways… anyone catch the newest episodes? Escape from the Citadel and …uhh, I can't remember the other one. Anyway… It was kind of really sad. I don't wanna spoil the episode for anyone but it was just filled with so much underlying sadness. I was also a little upset to see the Lich go. It would have been interesting to end the series with some sort of awesome final battle years in the future. So here's the next part of the story…_

_Note: I don't own A.T._

Chapter 7: Grit and Blood

Although Finn had not been present to see it, one fighter had dared to use magic while combating his opponent. From what the people in the bar had told him, this magic-user must have been caught shortly after beating his opponent into submission. It was a strength spell. People had their suspicions but it wasn't blatantly obvious until to spell wore off. Some magic spells like this one, radiate a sudden and bright flash of red color to signal a dying ability. The crowd was outraged. The bouncers had never even had a chance to escort out the shamed combatant. Finn had been too deep into his own thoughts and had not even taken notice to the increased noise from the other room. Last that he heard, the poor man was up in the surgery ward at the clinic. A shiver ran down the young man's back just thinking about what his own outcome could have been like had they rioted on him. The crowd was blood-thirsty and ruthless. Finn resolved to never… ever… return to this place after he left the town of Saar-Sven.

Finn's luck could not have rewarded him better, though. According to the wooden set of brackets hung from the far wall, it would have been Finn's turn to fight the magic user in the next round. However, since the man was now… uhh… incapacitated as well as the man's previous opponent, Finn was left with no one to fight. Automatically, the young hero would be advancing to the semi-final round. Although he was happy to be able to leave the bar sooner, the young man could not shake the slight bit of disappointment of not being able to earn his next move on the bracket fairly.

Looking over at the burly rock man, Finn was quite intimidated to see that the man was still staring back at him. Unflinching, unmoving, the rock man had been glaring at the hero since he had entered the room. The malice in his eyes and the fire erupting from his nostrils was nothing less than a wordless threat. The two had already picked the final fight before anyone else in the room. The granite man intently glared at the young man. Finn glared back while reciprocating the hate and irritation in his own eyes. After about a half hour, the rock man began to grind his teeth while cracking knots out of his neck. Finn followed the silent threat with his own. Leaning forward and cracking his knuckles against his legs, he gave a piercing glare that told the burly man everything he needed to know. That was all it took, the burly man took the silent threat and stood up from his chair. Finn was ready, he had planned for this. When the man attacked, he would do not attack but dodge. Attacking a fighter when it was not his time could easily get him disqualified. This would make Finn's life so much easier. However, fate would not have it.

"Gavril Anantha!" A yellow man stood up. "…and Sire Cassius Coquilles!" the announcer shouted, "Make your way to the center to prepare for your match! We will now be starting the semi-final round. For those of you not out of your brains on alcohol yet, we will start serving at half price!" A shout of approval was heard throughout the building.

The man of granite stopped his pursuit yet continued to lock his eyes into the hero's. The man's maroon eyes bore into the hero's blue ones. Before now, the hero could not recognize it completely. From his attitude, to his fighting style, and even down to his mannerisms, Finn could see an underlining feature that highlighted his entire being. It was an aurora of pure evil. It almost radiated off of him like a black cloud, almost obscuring the features of a real creature underneath. This creature though, no longer held compassion, companionship, or integrity. What it had become was a monster, powered by absolute anger… anger and evil.

"Sire Coquilles! He is not your target right now, get into the ring!" The announcer must have taken notice to their dueling stares and observations. Finally, the newly-identified Sire Coquilles broke his murderous gaze and turned it onto the lightly-armoured man standing in the ring. Finn watched as the man of granite walked away to satisfy his bloodlust through the means of his next victim.

"So, his name is Cassius Coquilles… and he is a Sire?" Finn asked himself, "A man of his type should not ever have a title of nobility. That man is evil… he must be stopped."

For the next fifteen minutes, Finn studied every detail of the horrible man's fighting technique. Sire Coquilles seemed to morph his fists into compact balls of rock between impacts. The yellow man opposing him stood no chance. The man's fists reminded the hero of the old wrecking balls that were used in the Old World. Punch after punch, the yellow man would finally succumb to his opponent and fall just like so many others had. Finn had cheered for the yellow man the entire time, but in the end, it was a useless effort. The yellow man hit the floor unconscious while the ruthless Sire Coquilles was escorted back to his seat at the bar. The crowd cheered even louder than before. The prospect of reaching a tournament champion was now closer than ever. Finn and the granite man once again locked eyes. This time however, Sire Coquilles threw a very perturbing sneer at the hero. Finn internally shuddered at the crazed look of the man. For the first time in a very long time, he was genuinely scared of his opponent. The hero knew that when it came time for him to battle the wicked man, nothing would be held back. Sire Coquilles would not stop his assault until the hero had breathed his last. Hopefully, with the grace of Glob and the skills perfected by mentor Rattleballs, the hero would prevent such a grotesque outcome.

"Here is the last match of the Semi-Final round! Finely Jacobs and Kybur Leren, report to the center and prepare for combat!"

Finn got up from his bar stool and made his way toward the center ring once more. Kybur, a large man composed of… sand? …also made his way to the center stage. Finn had thought it was sand. His face and body were wrapped in a large white cloth that almost gave him the appearance of a ghost. His body seemed to float as his only legs were trails of sand that slid across the wooden floorboards. Finn had watched this man fight earlier. As it had turned out, Kybur loved to dematerialize into his elemental form and trap his opponents in large tombs of sand until they passed out from suffocation. The crowd itself moved to allow for the movement of the sand man. No one had wanted to provoke his wrath for fear of their life. Finn noticed the hint of jealously that overtook the granite man's face when the sand man hovered passed. Hoisting himself onto the fighting stage, Finn took a fighting stance as his opponent rematerialized in front of him.

"You ready?" Kybur asked. The words almost drifted away with the wind.

"Always" the hero stated confidently

The bell rang, the crowd roared, and the two combatants rushed each other.

oOo

Finn's fist had reached its target first. Instead of Kybur's body jerking from the impact, it dissipated and the sand crashed over his arm like water. The sand man quickly materialized at his back and sent a painful punch into the hero's spine. Finn fell onto his knees from the impact and swung his foot backward in an arcing motion into the sand man. Once again, his foot sailed through the material like water. Kybur, in turn, materialized two fists and beat the hero in the stomach.

Finn grunted from each relentless blow. How could he hit an enemy that disappeared under the force of his fist? Suddenly, from the crowd, a large silver canteen was throw. It found its mark and collided with Kybur's white covered head. Disoriented, Kybur briefly paused his assault and allowed the hero to grab the canteen. Finn quickly examined the object, it was so familiar.

Suddenly, he had an idea.

Swinging the canteen in his left hand, his arm passed once again through the skin of the sand man. The sand man spread his form into a thick cloud as the hero stood up. He had one shot at this. If he missed, the match might be lost for him. Closing his eyes, the hero grabbed the cap and ripped it clean off of the canteen. His eyes were not much help to him this time. He focused instead on his hearing. It was no good, the crowd's raucous shouts made hearing the man impossible. He felt the air move around with the sand particles.

Perfect.

He felt it… the air was sucked into a materializing form behind him. Finn took his chance and whipped the silver canteen at the materializing man. Water sprayed like a whip from the canteen and collided with his opponent. The sand man shouted in surprise and Finn mouth gave way to a relieved smile. The water had soaked a majority of Kybur's form. The sand stuck together into clumps and the extra weight made dematerializing impossible. The hero looked down at the floating mass of wet sand and released punches of his own. Wet sand flew everywhere as each fist connected with Kyber's form. The sand man finally fell backward onto the wooden floor of the bar. Finn watched as each particle of sand returned to their master like loyal pets. Kyber rematerialized on the floor; wet, and gripping his stomach.

The hero noticed the medic Daron running toward the center of the stage. They shared a brief smile before the hero casually walked back to his seat at the bar stool. The announcer shouted something over the speakers, but Finn had stopped caring. Sitting next to his seat at the bar… was Marius.

"Glad to see you back on two feet" The hero smiled under his hood.

"Glad to see you still standing on two feet!" the man replied. The two shared in some joyous laughs. Marius turned to the now sitting Finn.

"That was quite a show of ingenuity! Although, how did you ever happen across such luck?"

"I don't quite know" the hero said while realizing that he still held the canteen. He held it up to examine the silver gleam that shown from the light of the bar. "Someone from the crowd must have thrown it. I wish I knew w…" the hero lost his train of thought. Looking down, he noticed a name crudely carved into the side…

_Marius Portorello_

It suddenly occurred to him why the canteen had looked so familiar. The hero looked up at his savior with wide eyes. The man made of vines simply burst out into laughter.

"It was the least I could do for the best mentor and pep-talker I have ever had."

"I cannot thank you enough." the hero replied. Quickly, he pulled Marius into a friendly embrace. Marius just laughed and pushed the hero away.

"Alright, I get it… You're grateful. Now, you've got one more fight left Finely. I haven't seen this man fight, but I've been talking to his victims all day. He is absolutely ruthless." the man stated with concern.

"I know… I have been watching him all day. He is wild and unpredictable. This will definitely not be an easy fight… but I know I can win."

"Listen, the odds are against you right now. But perhaps I can offer you some knowledge before you enter the ring? I believe someone once told me that a wise man prepares for his match before he feels confidence, isn't this correct?" Marius said. Finn just laughed.

"Of course, what information do you have?"

"Many of the men who have fought this… Sire Coquilles… have agreed that he subtly uses his natural abilities to strengthen his blows and defenses. Wherever he is exposed, he will try to reinforce with extra stone. This is all they were able to gather, however. None of them could identify a specific fighting technique either."

"Thank you Marius, this information is invaluable." the hero said with a smile at his new friend.

"Of course, now you might wanna take some time to yourself soon. The next match will proceed in the next twenty minutes."

"Alright, I guess I will retire to the backroom until then. Goodbye Marius, we will talk after the match" the hero said. Finn handed Marius the busted canteen. He took it without argument.

"Good luck Finely"

Finn walked away from Marius and made his way to the backroom. The entire way there, he felt a certain set of red eyes following his movements. Reaching the room, the young hero took a seat on a nearby bench and closed his eyes. Slowly, the commotion from the bar and the world around the hero faded. Time slowed down and eventually, his mind was free to relax and rest. Finn had not always been one to meditate. When he was younger, he did not have the patience to simply sit and relax for the time needed to reach the mental state. It wasn't until one day at the Fire Kingdom that he truly started to appreciate meditation.

oOo

It was about six months after they had broken up, yet Finn still had made it his business to check up on the situation of the Fire Kingdom at least twice a week. Although Finn was not entirely satisfied about his position with the kingdom's new queen, he was much too worried about her to stay away.

Finn trudged his way through the deep snow that had collected on the grasslands. This particular winter had been brutal to the creatures of the land. Even after countless investigations into the affairs of the Ice King, no one could offer any explanation for the intense display of weather. The falling snow was relentless. Many of the forest creatures even had to be rescued from their frozen homes by the hero and his brother because of the frigid temperature. Finn was quite sure that he had been wearing his temperature insulated suit since the colder months had begun. The young man quickly thanked Glob for Princess Bubblegum's knowledge of Old World tech.

Upon reaching the crest of the snow-covered hill, Finn laid his eyes on the border of the Fire Kingdom. The kingdom itself did not look any different than it normally would because the snow abruptly stopped with the border as if there was a massive wall. Although he could not see it, there was indeed a massive wall of heat which repelled any and all sorts of weather. Seeing clear land for the first time in weeks, Finn decided to run into the kingdom. It felt great to run free again. The deep snow had made travel almost impossible throughout the land. The heat of the kingdom instantly melted the snow from the hero's suit as he ran toward the approaching city. People shouted at him, but the hero was too lost in his own activity to pay them any mind. Guards and citizens whizzed by the young man as he made his way to the front doors of the castle. His lungs heaved for more air, but this was hard not easy to get in his heavily insulated suit. He was hot, tired, and sweaty from his dash through the kingdom; he could not have felt better. He was oddly calmer, more at ease from releasing his pent-up energy. However, from the surge of soldiers and guards that rushed him from behind, not everyone was as relaxed as the hero. Finn the Human was quickly apprehended and dragged into the throne room by flame guards. Upon seeing the bound hero, Flame Princess almost had a conniption.

"_What are you doing to him?! Release him at once_!" she shouted to her flame guards.

"_B-But… my queen! He was caught sprinting through the kingdom like a madman. He did not stop for anything and we thought that he had meant harm to the kingdom_!" the guard explained. Finn looked at the man.

"_Oh, I'm sorry_." the young man laughed nervously, "_I did not mean to rile up the whole kingdom, I had just not been able to exercise recently with all of the freakish weather. I guess I just needed to blow off some steam_."

The ruler looked visibly exhausted. She lowered her face into the palms of her hands. Slowly, her fingers dug into her radiant hair as she let out a sigh.

"_Please… just release him_."

"_Yes, your majesty_." the lead guard said

Finn was unshackled. He began to rub his liberated wrists through the heavy suit. Suddenly, the fiery ruler lifted her head to look at the distracted hero.

"_Finn_" she said. Finn jumped at the sound of his name.

"_Y-yes, your majesty_?" he said hesitantly. Many times Finn had visited the queen of the fire kingdom, yet he could never remember her true title. Could he call her Flame Princess any longer? He had heard some people refer to her title as the new Flame King. But she was still a girl so shouldn't she be the Flame Queen? He usually went with 'your majesty' when visiting to avoid discrepancy. She had not corrected him thus far. Hearing this from the boy who used to be so close to her, she always responded to him with a simple sigh before letting it go. This time however, Finn noticed something different in her eyes.

"_Finn, please come with me_." With that, the woman stood up and walked through one of the many doors leading into the castle. Looking at the flame guards, the young man deemed it safe and took off toward the burning woman.

He caught up to her but she did not turn around. They continued to walk in silence. Finn grew uneasy. It was always so easy to talk to her before. Why was now so different? Finn knew the answer, but he had been hoping that time would have healed him and allowed him to steady his emotions. The exact opposite was true. Finn was so conflicted, there was no way he could initiate the conversation. Luckily for him, it was the fiery woman who broke the silence.

"_You need to stop calling me 'your majesty'_." she spoke with no malice whatsoever, "_My name is still Flame Princess until the day I die_."

"_Well I understand that. It is just that I thought maybe you would like to be called something different now with your "kingly" status_." the young man explained. He was still a bit tense at having this conversation. Their conversations had never gone much further than formalities during the past several months.

"_Finn, if we are still friends than you will call me by my name, not my title. What if I addressed you as 'Finn the Human, Adventurer and Hero of OOO' every time I saw you_?" If it had been meant as a small joke, the young man did not catch it.

"_Alright, as you wish… FP_." The young man could still feel the tense atmosphere strangling his lungs like smog. He decided that it was his turn to start the conversation.

"_Where is CB_?" The young man mentally face-palmed. He did not appreciate where his mind had led him.

"_Sire Cinnamon Bun is out on a diplomatic trip with several important advisers at the Wild Berry Kingdom. He will not be back for some time_." she stated almost emotionless. The two had finally reached the end of the hall and turned into a large room with black obsidian walls.

"_Really? I have not seen any Fire Kingdom convoys in my recent travels_." The young man was genuinely confused. Why would the Fire Kingdom even send a convoy in this weather anyways? Judging from the look the ruler gave him, he instantly regretted his words.

"_That is because they have been stranded in the kingdom due to that horrible snow_!" the ruler yelled. For a split second, the hero thought he saw the reflection of a conflicted girl in her auburn eyes. "_The wagons won't move through the heavy snow and the flame horses cannot take this cold weather. I am worried about my people Finn_."

Finn turned slightly distraught at seeing this new side of FP. She always looked so powerful… so noble… but in this moment, she let him see another, more secret side of her. Seeing her distress, the hero got down on one knee and grabbed her elegant hand.

"_FP, if you would allow me. I would like to just try to retrieve your men and bring them safely back to the kingdom_."

FP was shocked at the notion. The determination in the young man's blue eyes were almost enough for her to unquestioningly agree. However, she was much too intelligent.

"_Finn, how could you possibly relocate an entire platoon of soldiers and several high-ranking officials through that terrible storm_?" her voice sounded incredulous, but it was also laced with renewed hope. Finn smiled a humble smile.

"_With determination and willpower_" he responded. The ruler didn't look entirely happy with his vague answer, yet she didn't press him.

"_Finn… if you can actually return all of my soldiers alive and well… this kingdom would be indebted to you_." she said. Finn was ecstatic on the inside. He chose to simply bow his head on the outside like a proper knight.

"_By your word, it is done_." he responded with confidence.

"_Not quite yet, I need to know something first. You need to answer with absolute honesty_." She stared him directly in the eyes, "_This cannot be a desperate attempt to win my heart. It would be much too risky to allow you to complete the task. You need to tell me that it won't be that way_."

She stared right at him. It was as if she was waiting for him to lie to her face. Finn knew he couldn't do that, not again. Finn understood her reasoning perfectly. He had seen during his previous attempts at what disaster he could create if his heart was not in the right place. For a second, he almost wasn't sure if he could accomplish such a task. It was looking right into FP's eyes that he saw the true desperation in her plea. She knew that he liked her; that was obvious. But she also knew that he could potentially get people killed if he messed up. Finn found it. He found the conviction in himself. He was a hero and he knew that he could not let his emotions win. This time, Finn was able to mask his emotions… for the good of the kingdom.

"_I will be completely honest. I understand and I believe that in order for you to trust me, I must trust you with my feelings. The truth is… yes… I still like you, but… I am a hero first. I promise to you that this is not an attempt at your heart. I live to serve kingdoms in need, this is my goal_." Finn stated. Although FP noticed some his speech falter at times, she found the conviction in his words. He really did seem to mean what he said even though his emotional mask was apparent.

Thank you Finn, it takes bravery and honesty to admit such a thing. I do trust you with this quest. Please, be careful and bring my men home."

"_Of course_" The hero looked ready to bolt out of the room from embarrassment, but the queen of flames knew that she couldn't let him go just yet.

"_Before you leave, you must do for me one last thing_."

"_Anything_"

"_Finn… I cannot just allow you to run through my kingdom and scare every living thing without repercussion._" she said. Finn's looked visibly intimidated at the woman's words. He even closed his eyes as if he were expecting to be hanged for his crime. During this time, the young man missed her beautiful smile. Such a shame, he had not seen it in the many weeks before.

"_Open your eyes_." she commanded. He complied.

"_I am ready for whatever you have to throw at me, FP_." he replied with his eyes downcast. She reached her fiery hand out to the glass on his visor and lifted his shielded head.

"_Your punishment is to learn how to meditate._" she said staring straight into his eyes

"_Wait…What?! You're not mad_?" he was confused

"_Of course I'm mad, that is why I am going to teach you how to release your excess energy through your mind. Maybe then you won't have to dash through my kingdom like a feral animal_." she said jokingly. Finn nervously rubbed his neck and laughed.

"_Alright, so when do we start_?"

"_Now… come with me_."

She led him over to the center of the obsidian room. Now that he had more time, Finn observed the decorations lying about the room. Candles and melted wax covered the floor. Scrolls with Fire symbols where scattered on walls and stone tables. In the center sat a large bonfire. It was on this bonfire that the ruler sat down. Finn was about to join her until he was pushed away from the burning flame by her hands. She scowled at him while Finn proceeded to rub his neck again feeling stupid. His suit may allow him to stand intense heat; however, the suit would probably not stand up well to prolonged contact with flames.

"_Just sit_" she sighed exasperated. The hero complied.

"_Now… empty your mind_" she took a calm position and relaxed her facial expression, "_You need to calm yourself and separate your mind from your physical body. It is not the easiest thing to do, but with practice, it will become natural_." Her words soothed the young man. He had never been able to meditate before, but something about this room… about her voice… allowed the hero to relax his body and enter his mind.

"_Remember Finn, when you mediate, time will slow down, physical feelings will subside, and thinking will be much clearer. Remember to use it often; meditation is one of the most powerful mental skills_."

oOo

Meditating always helped clear the hero's mind. Afterword, he felt fresh, energetic. It was like being rebirthed into a new mind; one clear of trouble and turmoil… at least for the time being.

Finn floated in his sub-conscious. Although he could not actually see anything, he could clearly identify his surroundings. The landscape was pure white, the sky… a deep cyan. Gray pillars with pulsing yellow symbols floated around in a circular pattern. The open center flashed with memories ripe to be observed and reflected upon. Here, Finn existed in suspended animation; reliving, relaxing, and re-evaluating. It was not until he felt a pull that he noticed that something was wrong. With force, he felt himself falling back to reality.

The young man eyes shot open. He was immediately disoriented from the disturbance. Where he had expected to find an obsidian room with a meditating queen, he found only a large brutish man. For a second, he thought that he had fallen asleep and missed his match. This was crushed when a loud voice rang out from the adjacent room.

"Now, get ready for what you've all been waiting for! It is time!" the announcer shouted with as much vigor as he could muster, "Finely Jacobs and Sire Cassius Coquilles! Report to the center and prepare for your final battle!" The crowd's roar was deafening even through the wooden wall. Turning his head, the hero finally identified the man in front of him. It was Sire Coquilles. The granite man surprised the hero with his first set of words that day.

"Today… you are going to die." he said. The Sire Coquilles' voice dripped with hatred and distaste. Finn found the ability to stay ahead of his nerve.

"If that is what you expect, then you will be sorely disappointed." the young hero responded. The granite man looked ready to attack the hooded hero, but Finn found the futility of fighting in the backroom. "Come on, there is no purpose to fight here. Let us go onto the stage and settle this once and for all."

After receiving an agreeing nod from the granite man, Finn stood up and made his way out of the door. If the crowd was not disorderly before, they most certainly were now. People shouted, food was thrown, and several people were even trying to tear up a wooden floorboard for Glob-knows what reason. The man taking bets was swamped with people trying to win it big on their choice of victor. Finn walked for the last time to the center stage and pulled himself up. Sire Coquilles followed suit. Each combatant took a corner of the ring.

"Welcome, everyone, to the final match of the Saar-Sven Fight Event!" the announcer yelled, "In this corner… we have one of the most powerful and intimidating men to ever walk this town … Sire Cassius Coquilles!"

The onlookers yelled in anticipation. They reminded the hero of hungry fire wolves.

"And in this corner… we have the shrouded and enigmatic fellow by the name… Finely Jacobs!"

Finn noticed a decline in the rowdiness of the onlookers. It was not hard to guess that some people had already counted him out. The young man looked over at the bar where he saw Marius sitting with a nervous-looking Daron. The medic looked back with two very concerned eyes while the green man shouted out words of encouragement. Finn just smiled at them.

"The winner of this tournament will be awarded the title 'Master Fighter of Saar-Sven', a secret weapon, and eight-hundred dollars!"

The granite man lowered himself and curled his fists. Finn relaxed his mind and spread his stance. Once they would start, both fighters would not stop until one of them had fallen.

"Ready… and… begin!" The fight bell chimed.

Blue eyes pierced through red. Red eyes bored through blue. Both fighters remained motionless, waiting for their enemy. Defense was important… mistakes meant death. Adrenaline rushed, hearts pumped blood, and fire erupted from the nose. Then, one movement… It was slight… a foot slid forward, but it was enough. Both fighters charged. Both were deep in concentration. Two fists were drawn at the ready. Two bloods were about to spill.

oOo

The rock fist met only air as the quick hero shifted right. The hero tried to counter with his own punch with his metal covered hand. However, a granite arm moved to cover the hit. As the metal fist collided, Finn felt reverberations shoot through his arm. It was painful, but it was also bearable. The granite arm suddenly flew out to smack the hero away.

Finn made his first mistake. He ducked under the hand to get another quick hit, but he missed an incoming leg. A rock knee made contact with his stomach as another hand grabbed his fleshy arm. The hero was swiftly launched through the air toward the back of the bar. He rolled but landed back on his feet, gasping for breath. A thin trickle of blood trailed from the hero's mouth. He suspected he had bit through his own tongue on the last hit, but he was too pre-occupied to find out.

"You bleed so easily." the creature said as he descended on the hero.

Finn acted fast and rolled out of the way of the granite man. He was pleasantly surprised to find that his opponent was quite slow when it came to moving his weight around… He needed a plan, but Finn could find none. The granite man charged him again with his arms spread wide. Finn watched as the rocks on his fists grew larger and denser. Fire spewed from the man's nose as he closed the gap between him and the hero. Dodging was inevitable, Finn saw that immediately. He only saw one opening and took it. As the creature got close enough, it swung its mighty arms downward to crush the young hero. The hero was too quick, however. He jumped backward into the crowd and used a nearby chair to redirect his movement. Finn leapt back into the stage and rolled into a defensive position. The creature just proceeded to turn and charge the hero again.

"He's reinforcing his hits somehow. It can't be magic. It must be a natural ability, but there are also no rocks to pull in for the increased mass. He must be pulling it from somewhere." the hero thought. His thoughts were suddenly disturbed by an incoming fist. Finn dove clear of the impact as it plowed into the wooden stage. With a roar, the creature pulled the flooring out with inhuman strength. Wood particles flew everywhere and the granite man threw his head back to laugh. Fire and small bits of lava shot from his mouth. Finn saw this from the ground and quickly regained his feet.

"Granite... it is an igneous rock. He still spews heat and lava… that means he is not hardened to the core. Only his outer-layer must be solid." the young man thought. A fist caught him off guard. The hero was not able to evade the granite fist and instead held up his unprotected hand to catch the blow.

The hero made another mistake. The fist plowed into his hand. A crack echoed through the roar of the crowd as the hero was thrown backward into the bar. Onlookers quickly moved as the body of the man was thrown their way. Marius, however, moved to intercept the flying man. Finn collided with the green man who grabbed his friend in an attempt to prevent more injury. Marius looked down at the man he had just caught and analyzed his wounded. Broken hand… broken fingers… possible dislocated shoulder… never mind, most certainly dislocated shoulder… When Finn began to stir again, Marius looked him in the eyes.

"Finely, you don't have to continue this fight. You're hurt pretty badly already. You don't have to be a hero if it just gets you killed." the man of vines worriedly said. To his confusion, Finn just laughed softly.

"If I don't, who will?" he asked his friend as he rose to his feet. Marius was too perplexed by the hero's words to stop his friend from walking back onto the stage. Sire Coquilles was waiting for him.

"I can see it in you… honor and valor have left you weak and without power. True power comes from yourself, not others. How can you expect to be strong when you are also looking out for others? Sire Coquilles walked toward the wounded hero. The pain was awful, but Finn still commanded control of his feet. Taking off his scarf, the hero tied a make-shift sling around his wounded arm. The pain forced him to take a knee for a second, but soon, the hero pulled himself back up. Without the scarf over his mouth, the hero's words came out louder and fuller.

"You think that true power comes from self-preservation? You think you get stronger when you destroy the weak? What test of power could the weak possibly give you? …No, true power comes from self-sacrifice… it comes from loss and redemption!" the hero said. His words were bitter, unshakeable, and confident. The hero could remember many times in his past. Many times he had lost so much. He lost the Candy Kingdom… he lost FP. As much as he did not want to admit it… it was always when he lost the most that he tried his hardest and developed the most. This journey itself was just another attempt to right his wrongs and develop his skills. The hero would not lose, even in his dying breath, Finn would be smiling.

The granite man charged him again, growing his fists and arms to an even larger size. This time, Finn saw it. His legs… His legs grew significantly thinner as his arms grew larger. It was a risky move, but the granite man was no idiot. To strike his legs, Finn would have to get very low and up close to get a hit. He would be in an excellent position to get a concussion. The hero had an idea. Running forward, the hero watched as Sire Coquilles continued to draw material from his feet. If he missed his timing in the slightest, the granite man would surely make sure that the hero never returned home.

Time seemed to slow as Finn ran into a slide on his back. The necks of spectators stretched, yearning for a better view. Marius watched intently and Daron held his hand in his mouth. Everyone watched as Sire Coquilles brought down two massive fists to crush his enemy. Finn prepped his metal-fist and continued to slide across the wooden floor closer to the granite man. All around the room, jaws hit the floor and eyes went wide.

The hero saw his life flash across his eyes. From crying in the forest to his first adventure with his brother Jake; Memories flooded his brain. He saw friendly people and places. He heard their voices and their wisdom. He saw laughter, fear, companionship, and love. Family, platonic, and genuine. He could die in this moment a happy man. His life wasn't so bad. In fact, his life was better than most. Near the end of his flashback… the hero noticed a newer image. It was not one he could ever recount seeing before. A lone woman stood holding onto a photo. He could not see her face, but he could hear her sobs. Dull red locks of hair cascaded down her hunched over back. He noticed that the tear-stained photo in her hands showed a boy with a white hat and blue attire. A large goofy smile covered his face. The land around her even seemed bleak. The hero was suddenly overcome with sadness and guilt. This could not be his fate… this could not be his future… he would not allow it. He had to return home.

The hero's eyes shot open as two massive fists crumpled the floor directly above his head. Finn kept sliding and steadied his metal fist for a crippling blow. The crowd watched in anticipation as Finn leveled an intense punch into the granite man's knee. The thin layer of rock split and lava began to heavily leak out. Sire Coquilles screamed in pain and fell forward onto the busted floor. Because of its heavy damage, the floor could no longer hold the weight. Part if the stage collapsed and pulled the hero and the granite creature in together. Both hit another floor underneath until it too collapsed under the force. Finn and Sire Cassius fell into the basement of the bar.

Finn's vision was blurry. His mouth tasted of grit and blood. Dust clouded his lungs. He coughed several times to clear his airway. Everything hurt. His arm was still busted up, he couldn't feel his foot, and a large piece of wood on his chest made it hard to breath. Using his good arm, he slowly lifted away the timber and gasped in breathes of air. His vision had only barely improved when more people appeared in the room. A man in a light-blue outfit ran over to the hero. He heard words… but they did not entirely make sense. Finn watched as a two green arms wrapped around his form and lifted him away from the debris to lay him onto a clearing on the dirt floor. The hero used his good arm to reach up and rub the dirt from his eyes.

A needle jabbed into his arm… then another in his leg. A warm sensation ran through his body. Opening his eyes, the hero adjusted his vision on the man in light-blue above him… it was Daron. The young hero smiled at the sight of the doctor. Daron took notice.

"Finely, you're awake!" he said with happy relief, "Do you feel any pain?" The hero chuckled before coughing out more dust from his lungs.

"I was, but it is starting to subside." he said

"That's the medication. You're a lucky shit, you know that?" His voice still laced with relief, "I thought you died when you two fell through the floor like that… thought both of you might have died." The doctor admitted. "But here you are… didn't even pass out. You're one of the most resilient people I think I've even seen in my life."

"Thanks doc. Think you could help me up now?" the hero asked

"W-What?! You're much too hurt right now!" the doctor said. The hero chuckled again.

"Nah… I've been injured much worse before. Here, help me up."

The doctor reluctantly complied and helped the hero get to his feet. Looking around, Finn found that they had fallen into a wine cellar. It must be the basement. Suddenly, the hero noticed the form of Marius smiling at him from across the room. The green man was guarding the only exit to the cellar. It looked as if he was trying to keep the crowd outside from rushing the room. Finn was grateful for that. Suddenly Marius spoke out.

"Damn, I thought all you's were extinct." Finn suddenly blanched. His body began to shake as he reached his good hand to his head. Exposed… no scarf… no hood… just blond hair and fleshy skin. Daron decided to address him before the hero could get himself worked up.

"Relax, your secret is safe with us. Honestly, it is a miracle to actually see one of your kind. Humans must be pretty resilient if they are still surviving the ages." Daron said. Finn just smiled at his two new friends.

"Thank you… I really appreciate it."

"Aye, it is no problem, really." Marius responded. Almost immediately after, someone on the other side of the door knocked loudly.

"Open up!" The voice was very familiar. It was the voice of the announcer from earlier. "This is my establishment and you will open up now!" he yelled. Daron looked visibly aggravated.

"By the power of the 63rd law of the Undivided Kingdoms, this area has now been designated a 'hospital zone'! Failure to comply will result in jail time and the closure of your establishment indefinitely!" the doctor yelled. Finn smiled at his friend and pulled the hood back over his head. A familiar darkness fell over his face once more to hide the hero's identity.

Mumbles and curses were heard from the other side of the door until suddenly, a feminine voice broke through.

"Daron, I came when I got the news! Let me in!"

"Let her in Marius." Marius nodded and pulled the door open. A blue woman in medical scrubs quickly rushed in. It was Julia. She wore a serious frown.

"What's the situation?" she asked. Finn could tell she was definitely a 'no-nonsense' kind of person when it came to her job. He respected that immensely.

"Sire Coquilles lays over there. He is still unconscious and he could really use some medical attention." Daron said calmly. Julia rushed over to the granite creature and began to assess his situation.

While Marius had tried to close the door after Julia's entrance, a foot wedged itself between the door and its frame. It was the announcer.

"Let me in, now!" he yelled

"This is a hospital zone!" Marius yelled while pushing the announcer out with a hefty shove. The door slammed shut and all was quiet until a long sigh was heard from the other side of the door.

"Can you at least give me the winner? The people up-stairs are going ballistic." he conceded. Marius did not respond and just looked at Finn. Daron also looked at Finn and began to speak.

"How about it Finely?" A smile formed on his face. "Ready to give them their champion?"

Finn looked over at the unconscious body of Sire Coquilles. He was not quite sure how bad the man's condition was. One thing was for sure though, Finn had retained consciousness the entire time. A large victorious smile formed on his face as he nodded his head at the blue medic.

"Excellent. Marius! Julia might need some help with Sire Coquilles. Think you could help her move the man to the clinic when she is ready?" the doctor asked

"Certainly, but what of you?"

"I'll help Finely back to the clinic. He still needs medical treatment." With that, the doctor put an arm under Finn to help escort the wounded hero to the door.

"Wait… Daron, do you think that is a good idea?" he asked with concern, "He's pretty beat up. It would be bad enough putting him with the other fighters that he beat-up, but we'll be moving Sire Coquilles in as well. Don't you have somewhere safer to treat him?"

Finn just looked curiously at Daron. The medic sighed.

"You're right. I do have a safer place to take him. Meet us in the Pride's Clock Tower when you are done helping Julia, alright?"

"Got it, and Finely… congrats" Marius finished with a smile.

Marius opened the door for Daron and Finn as they made their way outside and into the crowd. The announcer was the first one to greet them.

"Is this my winner?"

"Yep, your winner… Finely Jacobs." Daron said. The announcer immediately led them up-stairs and out of a large wooden cellar door. Upon reaching the surface, the hero was immediately taken back by the sight. Absolutely hundreds of people stood all around the streets. Many of them held small torches for light. Finn was sure that there weren't this many people in the bar earlier. The announcer overtook the crowd once again with his booming voice.

"Ladies and Gentlemen! It is my honor to present the victor of this year's Saar-Sven Annual Fight Event… Finely Jacobs!"

The crowd roared with applause and celebration to the closure of the festival. Special lanterns were lit and launched into the air. The air around the town glowed as each lantern was lifted away by the winds. They reminded Finn of the fireflies that would dance around the grasslands on warm summer nights. Some people had begun to filter out of their homes to observe the commotion. Many of them stayed for the partying. Children danced in the street, mothers laughed joyously, and fathers merrily chatted with their neighbors. Though the night had been long and painful, Finn was happy that he could see this. These people… they were all so different, yet they all talked and acted like they knew each other. Saar-Sven, with all of its flaws, had one of the most valuable traits of a town… community. The celebration brought a tear to the hero's eyes as he watched. Suddenly though, an arm brought him away from his thoughts.

"Finely? Are you crying? I didn't think I saw any signs of a concussion, but I can look again." he offered

"No, I am fine. This town, it just makes me miss my own home is all."

"Ahh, I see. Well come on, I need to better wrap and treat your broken bones and wounds."

"Wait, Mr. Jacobs!" It was the announcer. "You can stop by tomorrow to discuss issues of finances and your rewards for the victory. You seem like you could use well some rest."

This caused Finn to stare off at the sky. The burning lights were still embracing the town in their radiance. The young man didn't know exactly what time it was, but if he had to guess, the sun was probably approaching daybreak. He turned back to the announcer.

"Yes… Thank you. I will be in later or I will send someone in if I cannot get around for a few days." The hero turned to Daron. "Let's go."

The two departed, hobbling through the streets packed with people. It was nice that the crowd did clear a space for the medic and the hero. With a steady arm to lean on, Finn broke from the crowd with his escort. The two stopped in front of a massively tall structure. The shrouded hero noticed it as the clock tower that he had admired when he had first discovered the town. It stood over every other building. The look up close was even more staggering than it had been when he saw it the day before. Daron quickly produced a golden key and stuck it into the lock on the door. A soft click was heard before he re-stashed the key and pushed the door open. Finally, Daron and Finn made their way in and shut the door behind.

"Welcome to the Pride's Clock Tower." the doctor said. The tower looked even more glorious on the inside. Huge iron gears and cogs linked together into some of the most complex machinery the hero had ever experienced. Freshly oiled chains moved around with the gears and large stain-glass windows covered a few of the walls. Even at night, the place was fascinating. Daron led the wounded hero onto a large wooden palette set at the base of the tower. Four large chains connected to each corner of the pallet and a large wheel rested on the side. Daron grabbed the wheel and began to turn it hard. Suddenly, the sound of moving gears started and the pallet began to rise into the air.

"This is incredible!" the young hero yelled. Daron just smiled and continued his work until the two had reached a small wooden square room at the tip of the clock tower. The room was bare except for a few turning metal gears sticking from the floor and walls, one pile of blankets, and one chest at the far corner. Daron led the hero over onto the pile of blankets where he would continue his medical work.

"Isn't this place nice?" the doctor asked, "This is where I come to meditate and get away from life sometimes."

"It is… the engineering that it must have taken to build this place… Daron?"

"Yes Finely?"

"What is my condition, and how long do you think I must recover?"

Daron sighed, "Let's start with your arm. Your fourth and fifth metacarpus in your hand is broken and your shoulder is heavily bruised. It appears as if it was dislocated and then was forcibly pushed back in… probably from the fall. Your foot is bruised as well. Nothing broken, but it will be uncomfortable to walk on for a few days. Finally, you have a detached rib. It is in no major danger of puncturing any organs but we should not just leave it there. All in all… considering your species and time to recover, I'd think… about 80 days, maximum."

Finn stared at Daron. It was not hard to tell that the hero was not happy with the number. Daron sighed again.

"However, there is an alternative solution." Judging by Finn's inquisitive look, he knew he had sparked the hero's interest. "We could do full body rehabilitation procedure. It would take about three days and you would be back to your healthy physical state by the end. But…"

"Daron, I cannot be waiting around Saar-Sven for the next several weeks. Whatever it is… I can do it." the hero stated

"Just please, let me finish… For two days you would be in immense pain. You would need to be constantly taking in nutrients and water. The third day, your body will be so exhausted that you will sleep for at least twenty-four hours. It is never recommended because many of the people who take it are too weak; they parish within the first day from the draw on the body and its nutrients. It is a terrible fate to experience." the doctor said. His voice almost sounded lifeless. Finn knew that Daron did not wish to perform the operation. Finn felt bad. He internally wondered if it selfishness that made him do what was next.

"Daron, I need that alternative. Being trapped in an area for such a long time where I can get lost in the deepest recesses of my mind is a fate worse than death. I know this from experience." Daron watched the hero's eyes darken slightly. He had no clue of what the young man was thinking, but his mind came to a realization. Daron nodded his head.

"Then against my better judgment, I will perform the operation." With that, the doctor stood up. "I must return to my clinic to receive some medicines. Marius and I will return soon with supplies." Daron looked into Finn's eyes. "Please, try not to move around too much while I'm gone. Your floating rib might not be in danger of poking any major organs, but I don't need you moving it around either."

With that, the doctor moved to the elevator and began his decent. Finn watched him until his head disappeared beneath the wooden floorboards. He felt guilty for making Daron perform a dangerous operation that he didn't agree with. However, there was too much at stake. Every hour, every second he was away from home, it was vulnerable. Too much could happen in the time for him to recover. He needed to get back… He needed to see her… healthy and alive.

Finn looked out one of the windows in the clock tower. The sun broke through the hills and drowned the valley in yellow light.

_Hope you enjoyed! Please take the time to tell me what you think, what you liked? what didn't make sense? 'Til next time, farewell!_

_Ooobserver: Receiving your reviews are always nice to read. I know how you review a lot of people's stories so I'd like to say for all that your work is really appreciated. Thanks a bunch! Also, I didn't intend for my one of my character to turn out so close to one of yours from …ugh 'Fiery Alias'? I think that is right… Anyways sorry about that._

_Kojh0124: Thanks dude, I was kinda hoping for something a little more different than Ooobserver's story. Your comment did give me something to think about though and I really appreciate that._

_Fiery Crusader: You guys were the Crusaders? That's so awesome, mine were the Colonials. Not nearly as cool. With the weapon aspect though, unlike games like Fallout 3, Finn isn't just gonna find the best gear lying around the street. Makes more sense to work for it._

_Rick: Thank you dude. Fights are never always about brute strength. You need a strong mind and a strong body. Great to see it lived up to your standard, twice!_


End file.
